A Lost Past
by DiegoAlmirante
Summary: Just Updated Today!, July 2! , Wrong Time. Chapter 11 is up and I hope you guys like it! READ, ENJOY and REVIEW! ZackxMaddie
1. Years To Forget

**Chapter 1**

**Years To Forget**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "The Suite Life Of Zack and Cody" cause if I did I'd be a happier man.

**AUTHORS NOTES PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!**

**A/N: This chapter will be the Prologue for this story since it takes place 7 years after Wrong Place, Wrong Time. I will divide this chapter to 5 parts so we can see what happened to the characters during the past 7 years.**

**

* * *

****Part 1 Zack**

Out of all the characters Zack must have faced the most turbulent events, this part will be in Zack's point of view as he writes his diary with the events that took place.

_August 2 2010_

_Dear Diary,_

_Man I gotta stop calling you that._

_I feel tormented with each passing day, it's as if life had no meaning._

_Day after every day, with each day bringing the same grudging routines._

_Ever since I left Boston and Maddie I've lived a cold, hard and bleak existence._

_-_

_I doubt things would get any better._

_Hopelessly Miserable_

_Zack Martin_

_**

* * *

**__August 23 2010_

_I got drunk again, it's as if I'm trying everything to recover from my depression._

_I can't seem to get my head around the fact that I can't see Maddie again._

_-_

_Maybe a job would get my head straight._

_Sober, for the moment_

_Zack Martin_

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* * *

**_

_September 5 2010_

_I was right when I thought a job would get my head straight._

_I got a job as a Coffee maker at the schools cafe._

_I met Max the other day and found out she was studying at the city college too._

_We set a date after classes to be reacquainted to each other._

_-_

_Maybe there is a light at the end of the tunnel_

_Getting better_

_Zack Martin_

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* * *

**_

_September 17 2010_

_Man that was a great night, I've finally gotten over my depression._

_Although I don't think Cody or Mom would like it._

_Last night I slept at Max's apartment and well if you diaries had any heads to think with you could've guessed the rest._

_-_

_That felt great_

_In love again_

_Zack Martin_

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* * *

**_

_September 24 2010_

_Fuck!_

_That's the word that best described the day._

_Max got pregnant and now I'm left unprepared and unawares to deal with being a father at 18 or facing our parents._

_Max and I are planning to rent an apartment and she plans on quitting college for a few years to take care of the baby_

_-_

_Could things get any worse._

_Going Downhill at the moment._

_Zack Martin_

_**

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**_

_June 19 2011_

_I don't know how to feel, I mean I'm happy being a father now but Mom still refuses to talk to me._

_She didn't even go to the hospital to see her new Grand Daughter we named Kylie, although Cody was there and became a Godfather to his new niece._

_Max and I have to fix up the apartment for the baby._

_-_

_I don't know anymore _

_Uncertain of my future_

_Zack Martin_

_**

* * *

**_

_September 3 2015_

_Kylie's four now and going to Kindergarten, today's her first day and I gotta pick her up._

_Max did a real great job at teaching her the alphabet and basic math._

_-_

_Mom still refuses to talk to me_

_With an angry mom_

_Zack Martin_

_**

* * *

**_

_October 18 2015_

_Dear diary,_

_This is my last entry, all the memories I've kept in you are too much to bear._

_The memory I'm about to write is the last and the saddest._

_Today as Max was driving to the grocery an asshole son of a bitch truck driver couldn't tell the fucking difference between right and left and hit Max's car._

_When I was helping Kylie with her homework I received a phone call saying there's been an accident and that Max was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, I've still to break the news to Kylie, Cody or mom_

_-_

_What does life really mean now?_

_A Broken Man_

_Zack Martin_

_**

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**_

**-**

**Part 2 Cody**

As Cody was sitting in the faculty lounge at Columbia university he was deep in thoughts about what has happened in the past years.

"Man its such a great feeling to be a college professor." Cody murmured as he sat checking test papers.

"To participate in the education of the future feels like such a great honor." he thought to himself.

RRRing!

"Hello, oh hi honey. Yeah I'll be back early today. Don't worry." Cody said as he answered the phone.

"Okay see you later, love you bye!" Cody said as he ended the call.

"I wonder how Zack is doing, ever since the accident. I better call him." Cody thought.

Cody got married to Irma when he was 23, she was 24 and had a job as a guidance counselor at

Columbia University.

After getting his masters degree in college he got a job as a professor at the same school as Irma.

**

* * *

**

**Part 3 Maddie**

Like Zack, Maddie also kept a diary although the past 7 years weren't that turbulent but more sorrowful

_June 18 2010_

_Dear Diary,_

_Well he's gone and I may not see him again._

_I don't know why I just didn't go with him to New York, cause now it doesn't matter anymore._

_I could've just gone with him, my Junior year was almost over and I could've just gone there for my Senior year, I wasn't throwing college away. _

_But I threw him away, now I don't know what to do._

_Hopelessly In Love_

_-_

_Maddie_

**_

* * *

_**

_July 29 2010_

_Dear Diary,_

_Why must I let his name pass from my lips._

_As I stare at the ring he gave me I speculate at what could've been._

_My straight A grade point average is gone._

_I think of him too much._

_I miss him I miss his smile, his laugh, his jokes and his voice saying "I Love You" still ringing through my ears."_

_Come back Zack_

_-_

_Maddie_

_**

* * *

**_

_June 26 2011_

_Dear Diary,_

_I feel so happy today._

_I finally graduated from MIT, Now I have a bachelors degree in Political Science._

_If only Zack was here to share this moment._

_Happy & Sad_

_-_

_Maddie_

**_

* * *

_**

_July 12 2011_

_Dear Diary,_

_I finally got a job, well not one that I expected._

_To think you get a Bachelors degree in Political science and become a lounge singer._

_Yeah I still work at the Tipton, but now not as a candy counter girl but as a singer._

_I still wonder how Zack is doing, does he even think about me anymore._

_Older and older by the day_

_-_

_Maddie_

**_

* * *

_**

_September 12 2012_

_Dear Diary,_

_Well I just got drunk last night._

_I know I try my best not to drink but I just felt too depressed._

_I don't know what to feel anymore, I have a great job a lot of fans a few admirers._

_But still no Zack I just can't breathe as easily as I used to, Only 2 years without him and I'm already falling apart. He waited for 5 years and I turned him down._

_I feel like another drink._

_Feeling worse and worse_

_-_

_Maddie_

**_

* * *

_**

_November 17 2013_

_Dear Diary,_

_My friends are starting to notice my depression._

_Every time I'm with them they see my emotional highs and lows, and the way I drink more and more._

_Even Moseby is starting to notice the fact that I only sing sad and sorrowful songs._

_I hope Zack is faring better, for him all the luck and love I have left to give._

_Hit Rock Bottom_

_-_

_Maddie_

_**

* * *

**_

_June 16 2014_

_Dear Diary,_

_My life is becoming miserable._

_My favorite older sister Genevieve has lost her husband of 9 years to the war in Iraq._

_The funeral tomorrow would be attended by all my relatives._

_I feel really bad for my sister and I will really miss Mark._

_I was given a week off but I still can't get any sleep, my thoughts of Zack and what could've been are going around my head._

_Time to take my nightly pills._

_Miserable_

_-_

_Maddie_

**_

* * *

_**

_March 28 2016_

_Dear Diary,_

_I've finally turned 26 today and it feels great._

_I am feeling a bit better now._

_Mr Moseby just announced that I would be sent for 2 weeks to New York for a show there._

_It feels great to start living again, who knows? Maybe I might meet Zack lol. _

_Like that would happen, he may have forgotten me by now._

_But the bad news is that Liam leaves a few days later since he's been drafted._

_I wish him the best._

_Getting better little by little_

_-_

_Maddie_

**_

* * *

_**

_**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

**Part 4 Jack Willis**

**_March 28 2016_**

As Jack sat there cleaning his M-4 carbine he was tense, just yesterday a friend of his was killed right at the spot he's sitting on.

As he looked to his back he saw John Williams, a friend of his since boot camp.

"Hey Jack!" his friend said.

"Hey..." as he was cut off when his own friend was gunned down in a split second right front of his two eyes.

As he saw him blown back he quickly pointed his rifle at a mob of insurgents and started firing.

With each shot his body's frame trembles, and as the shell casings fly off his adrenaline pumps.

He turns his head and he saw John lying there he then had a flashback.

_Flashback_

_March 14 2016_

"_Hey Jack!" he heard his friend say as he was eating his lunch at the mess hall._

"_Hey John, excited?" Jack said._

"_Yeah, were being shipped off tomorrow." John replied._

"_Sure is a long way off since the court room." Jack cleverly replied._

"_What courtroom?" his friend asked with curiosity._

"_Oh yeah i didn't tell you." Jack replied while he started having a flashback_

_Flashback's Flashback_

"_And the court finds you guilty." The judge said._

"_You are sentenced to 5 years imprisonment." he ended._

_5 days later._

"_If I am to be punished I want to serve my Queen and country." Jack yelled out at his retrial._

"_And in what way can you serve our Queen and country if your behind bars._

"_I'll rather spend 8 years in Iraq than to spend 5 years idle in a prison cell." Jack added._

"_Very well, since you are physically fit and the armed forces have had massive manpower losses you can have your 5 year jail sentence transmuted to 8 years in military service." The judge decided._

"_Thank You, Sir" Jack replied to the judge._

_End Of Flashback_

"And to think I asked for this." Jack murmured as he shot off more rounds from his rifle.

**

* * *

**

**Part5 London**

"Hahahaha." London loudly laughed out.

"I love your lol's." Todd replied.

"How many years have it been since I first saw you." he added.

"Around 11 years." London answered.

"And were still as strong as ever." Todd answered as he leaned in to kiss London.

"Oh crap it's Blitzkrieg I gotta go see you later London." he said as he started to run off.

"Oh well, at least he got away. Uh oh..." London said as she started running as well back inside the Tipton with Moseby waiting at the revolving doors.

"Is it Todd again?" Moseby asked.

"Yeah." London answered happily.

"Just don't let your father see the two of you." Moseby replied as he walked away.

**_

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_**

**A/N: Well that's the Prologue to the sequel.**

**I hope you To see your reviews, tell me what you think and if you have any comments or suggestions just PM me I'm always available and happy to listen to new ideas.**

**Well I will have the first chapter of the story proper next weekend, until then READ, ENJOY and Review!**

**Good Luck And Best Wishes To All My Reviewers And Readers**

_**-**_

_**Diego **_


	2. Ends Meet Part 1

**Chapter 2**

**Ends Meet, Part 1**

**(A/N: I'm so very, very, very Sorry for not updating for so long, some bloody virus crippled my machine. So this is it the first proper chapter of my sequel, I hope you guys like it.)**

* * *

**In a New York apartment**

"Kylie, I told you that 18x3 is equal to 54. Ugh I thought right when I said Cody should've been the one teaching you math." A concerned voice said.

"But Dad, mom taught me so well, why can't you?" A little girl asked.

"Listen, Ky, your mother, she was one of the most intelligent girls I've known. Of course she can teach you. I'm not so good at it." He replied

As Zack was staring at his daughter he fumbled at how he can father her alone.

"Dad, I know you're doing your best but really, something's bothering you. Is it what happened to mom?" Kylie asked.

"Yeah kinda, but it's something else. I can't put my finger on it but it's something else." Zack answered.

"Yeah but I sure hope it has something to do with math, Otherwise I'd fail the test tomorrow." Kylie replied.

"Why don't you crack your books while I sort things out?" Zack suggested.

"Okay dad whatever you say." She said back.

"That's my girl." Zack said back.

"What was I thinking of?" Zack thought as he walked to a different room and sat on the bed.

As he sat there he felt the bed move a bit.

"What's this?" he murmured as he placed his hand under the bed.

As his hand reached there he grabbed 2 boxes under the bed.

As he opened the first box it brought him to tears.

**A/N: I know that as a man that has lived for 15 years that seeing a fully grown man sobbing is quite a sad and touching sight.**

"Hey Max, how are you doing?" he murmured as he stared at a picture he took from the box.

All tear faced he only knew one thing to do, hide the box full of scarred memories.

As he took the second box he could only murmur one thing "It can't be worse than the first one."

It wasn't but its effects were nonetheless significant.

When he opened it he saw a sight that made his blood run cold, his heart race like a drag racer and his nerves numb.

For the face he saw was one which he completely forgot, after all these long and turbulent years.

"Maddie!" Zack yelled so loudly that his daughter heard from the other room.

With that, knowing that his daughter wouldn't understand quickly put the box back under the bed.

Just right after he shoved it back under his daughter rushed into the room.

"DAD!" Kylie yelled as she rushed into the room.

"What's going on, who's Maddie?" She added.

"Maddie, who's Maddie, I don't have any idea who she is. Completely no idea who she is!" Zack suddenly without hesitation shouted back.

"She's a past girlfriend, isn't she?" She teasingly asked as a joke.

Zack thinking Kylie was on him just decided to open up to her by replying with one resounding word "Yes."

As Kylie heard this she also had only one resounding word to answer "WHAT!"

"Listen, it was long ago and the reason I yelled is that I almost completely forgot it." Zack hesitatingly answered.

"Were the two of you close?" She curiously asked.

"As close as it can be, the two of us couldn't be more perfect. It's just that circumstances forced us apart." Zack carefully explained.

With that Kylie shed a few tears and rushed out, slamming the door behind her.

"Ky!" Zack yelled out as he ran out.

* * *

**Meanwhile on a bus heading for New York**

A woman was sitting next to the window.

"I am dying to get off this bus an see New York." She thought as she stared out the window.

"Maddie, when would you stop staring out that window and talk to me?" A mans voice said.

"What is it Dmitri?" Maddie asked.

"So are you excited about our first show this weekend?" He asked.

"Yeah why wouldn't I!" Maddie replied.

"Good cause I bet you'll start liking me more once we get to talk more." He answered.

"Dmitri, your sweet and everything but………" she said before she was cut off.

"Oh no here comes the, but." Dmitri blurted out.

"You're nice but I'm looking for someone else." Maddie calmly said.

"Is there anyone in particular?" Dmitri curiously asked.

"No not really." Maddie calmly answered as she stared out the window again.

"Zack, I hope I find you." She murmured.

"That Dmitri, I mean he's nice but he can never seem to accept the fact that I'm not interested in him. Still I'm going on a day trip to New York to meet Zack, This is so exciting." Maddie thought to herself.

* * *

**Meanwhile back in Zack's apartment**

"Kylie sweetie, I didn't mean it that way." Zack carefully said.

"I thought you and mom were perfect." She replied.

"We were, what we had was special." Zack answered.

"Tell you what, what about I take you to the theatre this weekend to watch a musical like your mom used to do. I know you miss that, but right now you have to work on your math and I have to go to work." Zack added

Oh life was hard for the two of them for Zack's job wasn't that stable, He went from bar to bar, club to club playing his guitar and singing with the hope that there be some soul kind enough to toss some money into his guitar case.

As for Maddie now she was going to tour New York for a month before they went again. Little does she know Zack and her are going to stumble upon each other in the cool air-conditioned stage they called the theatre.

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**A/N: Well that was the first proper chapter of the story, Love It? Hate It? Just Review it for Pete's sake I need more reviews for the next chapter to come out, I have gone review hungry.**

**Well that's all hope you guys liked it.**

_**Diego**_


	3. No One But Me

**Chapter 3 **

**No one but me**

**Disclaimer: **I obviously do not own "The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody" If I did I would be filming episodes right now but I do own the song "Why Now" since well I wrote it.

**Last Time On A Lost Past: **Zack is on a collision course with his past as he decides to bring his daughter to a theatre musical, not knowing that Maddie was an actress on the play. But Things don't always turn out the way you expect them to.

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**-**

**Now onto the story**

-

As Zack finished playing his guitar some people were already giving money and leaving the pub.

"I'm impressed kid" stated the bartender as he was cleaning out one of the glasses.

"Yeah" Zack answered as a short period of awkward silence took place until the bartender asked "How would you like being a regular here?"

"Are you offering me a job?" Zack curiously asked as the bartender turned around from the glass shelf.

"Yea I mean the pub could use some publicity and a good musician, and you kid your talented enough to provide both." The bartender replied as he saw Zack's young face wondering if he should go for it.

"Well sir, I'm parenting alone and in quite a bad situation so I guess I'll have to be rash enough to ask how much this pays." Zack sarcastically said as he saw the old stout man walking from one end of the counter to the other.

"I'm thinking due to your condition and your skill were talking 30$ an hour per 4 hour show." The bartender said as he tried to convince Zack.

"Um… I don't know." Zack said, but almost as soon as he said so the bartender suddenly blurted out "Okay I'll make sure you have the show floor every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday and you will get 2 shows from 8-12 PM and 2-6 AM I'll make sure of that."

"Yeah but what will I do during the times where there are other performers during my time." Zack asked but then the bartender replied "You could stay here until they finish and then continue, I'll even give you a discount on drinks."

"What a generous offer, I'll take it!" Zack enthusiastically answered afterwards the bartender promptly introduced himself "I'm Mike and you are?" he asks.

"I'm Zachary Martin but you can call me Zack." Zack answers

"Well Zack say you start the day after tomorrow, Friday." The bartender asks as he looked at Zack who apparently was packing his guitar.

"Sure, well see you on Friday."

"**Yes!**" Zack yelled out as he came out the door of the pub celebrating the fact he finally got a job.

* * *

**-**

**Meanwhile in Maddie's dressing room at the back of the theatre**

"You're pulling it too tight!!" Maddie shrieked as a hairdresser was working on her hair; the hairdresser was obviously inexperienced as she pulled and curled Maddie's blonde locks.

"I'm sorry, I'm still getting used to your hair." She replied with a smirk as she tried harder on it

"I have to look great for the dress rehearsal tonight" Maddie said excitedly to her hair dresser as she replied " Yes I'm glad to work in such a successful production, who knew Two Summers and a December in Iraq would be such a hit."

"Yeah except Dmitri can be quite stubborn, He thinks just because we're a couple on the musical that he and I are meant to be." Maddie told her as she was listening so attentively that she was actually messing up her hair.

"Well have you even bothered considering the fact that he maybe the one?" The girl asked curiously already expecting the answer to be "No".

"I mean he's nice, funny, smart, handsome and creative but he just doesn't seem to be the one." Maddie answered only to be answered by "Why not?"

"Well, I haven't told this to anyone but I guess I can let it slip this time, but you promise you won't tell right?" Maddie said as she got ready to tell her.

"I'll be silent as the grave." She replies almost as if it's the cue for Maddie to start.

"Well it was about six years ago, there was this boy who fell in love with me for more than 5 years. His name was Zack, he was sweet, kind, funny and a great kisser." Maddie said before she was interrupted by a question "There's a but right? Since you didn't get together in the end."

"Yes, yes, yes I was getting on that. The only problem is that he's three years younger." Maddie stated before she was once again cut off.

"But ma'am three years isn't that much of a gap now." She asked abruptly.

"It is when you're fifteen and he's twelve, and can you stop these questions, it's disrupting me. Now where was I, oh yes when I was twenty and he was seventeen we decided to hit it off because I promised five years earlier that I'd go to his prom. But there was a problem, he had to move the day after, so he did the unthinkable." Maddie said before she paused expecting her to ask.

"What?" she asked as Maddie predicted and quickly said the answer " He proposed to me on the night of the prom."

She then paused since she was regretful of what she was about to say next.

"I rejected him, and from that night on we didn't get to speak to each other again since he moved without saying goodbye." Maddie finished as tears started to form in her eyes.

"Ma'am, I mean Maddie, I'm so sorry for you but I still don't get how this is preventing you from going for Dmitri." She asked slowly.

"The thing is Zack moved to New York and I was hoping of meeting him again." Maddie hopefully replied only to get a negative answer "But ma'am there are millions of people living in this city and there's a high chance he just forgot about you and moved on." The young hairdresser stated.

"Honey, you are too young to have experienced the love he gave me, he wouldn't have forgotten me. But come to think about it my mother told me that when I told her about Trevor and she was right." Maddie answered before the girl could ask her another question.

"Now who's this Trevor?" She teasingly asked only to be answered with " That is a different story, for a different time, cause right now you have to stop ruining my hair." Maddie answered as the two girls started to laugh at what the hairdresser did to Maddie's hair, as she was distracted by her story.

During that time they didn't realize that Dmitri was listening to their conversation through the door.

* * *

**-**

**On The Theatre Stage Itself On Rehearsals**

"Oh what form of deceit has my dear Louisa done, she has not written to me in weeks and rumors are about that she has been taken away by some other man." Dmitri's character Joseph stated to his close friend, Willy.

"Dude, stop being so dramatic about it just say two words like everyone else: Screw It!!" Willy replied as he tried to send some sense to his friend.

"It's all my fault, if only I didn't volunteer into this mess I would still be with her." Joseph rashly stated not expecting his friends answer.

Suddenly all the action stopped the spotlights then pointed to Dmitri as he started to sing his piece called "Why now?"

-

"_You trusted me_

_You cared for me_

_You helped me_

_When I was lonely_

_With your smile"_

_-_

"_What about now_

_Did I stray too far?_

_I know why you turned me down_

_I can see it in your angry frown"_

_-_

"_Why did I screw up now?_

_Why did I let you down?_

_You have always loved me first_

_Through the best and through the worst"_

_-_

"_If I did something wrong_

_Why now…_

_Why now……"_

_-_

"_I saw you go_

_You saw me come_

_I looked at you_

_You stared at me_

_With your smile"_

_-_

"_What about then_

_Did I cramp your style?_

_We were just too crazy then_

_We could be what could've been"_

_-_

"_Why now…_

_Why now……"_

_-_

"_Why did I screw up now?_

_Why did I let you down?_

_Now you love me even more_

_Your heart's like an open door………"_

_-_

"_Your sight I see_

_Your feel I touch_

_Your scent so sweet_

_Your kiss so warm"_

_-_

"_Did you love me?_

_Did I love you?_

_Was it us_

_Was it the moment"_

_-_

"_Things were just too perfect then_

_If only we could do it again"_

_-_

"_Why now……_

_Why now…………"_

_-_

"C'mon you didn't volunteer in the first place, you were drafted." Willy then stated out loud as he tried to shake him off his song.

"Great Willy way to kill the mood" Joseph then said as he stammered off.

The curtains then closed for the next scene

* * *

**-**

**Outside the theatre**

Zack was walking by to buy his ticket, as he promised he'd take Kylie to a theatre musical this Saturday. Now that he has the money from his first day of work.

As he walked to the ticket booth he asked the booth lady "Is this play really that good?"

"One of the best around sir, Two summers and a winter in Iraq has sold out in three cities. It's a miracle you came here so early to buy tickets otherwise you would've been swamped." The booth lady answered.

"Yeah I know how much it sold, what I'm talking about is the acting." Zack hastily and rashly replied only to be given an answer with someone he never knew would be in the subject.

"The acting is superb sir especially the two leads played by Dmitri Kosolov and Ms. Madeline Fitzpatrick, their chemistry is like magic." The booth lady answered to a dumbfounded Zack who then quickly asked "Madeline Fitzpatrick, The Madeline Fitzpatrick um I meant Maddie."

"Yes, but only her friends call her Maddie. Why are you so interested?" The booth lady asked only to be given a harsh answer.

"I have no time for more questions lady just sell me the dang tickets." Zack quickly answered only to tone down a bit for the next part of his sentence which is "How much are they?"

"60$ each take it or leave it." The lady also rashly answered as Zack started counting the coins in his pocket.

"Here! Just gimme the tickets." Zack said as he pushed the money up the table of the booth.

As Zack got the two tickets he ran off with joy, celebrating but as he skipped down the pavement he remembered something.

"Wait a tick, would Kylie be okay with the idea?" He said to himself.

"Shit!!" he yelled out as he realized she wasn't cool with the idea of him getting back with Maddie.

* * *

**-**

**Two Hours Later As They Finished The Rehearsals**

"Okay that wraps it up people!, Get enough sleep, tomorrow night we go, Good job people." The director said along with the writer of the play.

"Nice performance Maddie." Maddie heard from her back as she turned around she saw Dmitri "Oh hey Dmitri, um you too." Maddie replied before Dmitri pulled her in for a deep kiss.

As he kissed her deeply she started pushing him away till he let go.

"What's the matter Maddie, don't you love me as much as I love you?" Dmitri asked only to get a shrieking reply from Maddie when she said "No! When will you get it? I'm not interested in you. Now buzz off!" afterwards she stammered off.

"Maddie!"

"Maddie!" he yelled out, to no avail.

"Darn, my horoscope said it would work." Dmitri then murmured.

She then went back to her dressing room and started dressing in her regular clothes as she prepared to go to her flat.

As she walked out of the theatre door she thought about what Dmitri tried to do and about Zack.

She wondered as she looked at all these buildings, walking on the pavement where Zack was in this large city, if he ever thinks of her and most of all if he still loved her.

As she walked by she came across a corner, as she walked by a man who was running bumped her.

As they got up the man said "Sorry Ma'am" while Maddie replied "Be careful next time you run okay."

As they stood up they gave each other a quick stare then went there separate ways until Maddie thought to herself "Didn't that guy look familiar." At the same time that man who was actually Zack started thinking, "Didn't that woman look familiar." Afterwards both murmured to themselves "Nah"

They then walked away not knowing they both found what they've been looking for.

"Man I'm tired maybe a quick drink at the pub." Maddie thought to herself as she walked in the pub but at the same time Zack walked in through the backdoor to prepare for his 2 AM show.

As Maddie entered the pub there were many people, watching the stage apparently because of a hit show.

She found a vacant seat next to the counter and sat on it.

"I would like a shot whiskey please." Maddie requested the bartender.

"You look new lass, did you hear our local singer sing yet. I tell you with a voice and looks as good as his angels will fall from the sky to catch a glimpse of him." The bartender added.

"That maybe an overstatement sir." Maddie replied as the bartender stood up to go on stage to introduce the performer.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Lads and lassies may I please welcome the star of the show Zack Martin! C'mon up now Zack." The man said proudly as Maddie had her mouth agape.

"Thank You, Thank You." Zack said as he stared at the audience.

As he stared he saw the same woman he bumped into, with closer examination he murmured "Maddie?"

At the same time as Maddie heard Zack's name called out all she could do was look at him onstage and murmur his name once.

* * *

**A/N: Well that was the third chapter of "A Lost Past" I hope you guys liked it.**

**I made it longer to make up for the long time I wasn't able to update, a virus killed my computer and I only fixed it last week.**

**Thanks for all of you who review, please review even anonymous ones will do it gives me a sense of purpose.**

**I know the end was a bit of a nasty cliffhanger but the next chapter will be up in a couple of days.**

**The next chapter will also have the first edited scene so for any of you who are old enough like 16 maybe you can PM or review me for the uncensored copy.**

_**Well that's about it, thanks to all of you who've read**_

_**Diego** _


	4. Ends Meet, Part 2

**Chapter 4**

**Ends Meet, Part 2**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own "The Suite Life Of Zack and Cody", I could pretend I do but I will not but I do own the song, which Zack sings later.

**Rating:** **_T_** for this censored version for mention of alcohol and violence as well as for some rough language, but **_M _**for the uncensored copy due to some sexual content. Please PM or add in your review if you wish to be sent the uncensored edition, for those who already have please tell me whether you want it either by PM or by E-Mail before I send it to you.

**Last Time On A Lost Past: **Zack and Maddie both found what they've been looking for, all of their emotions for each other collided with each other in that moment as Zack prepared to sing his song. What will happen next?

* * *

- 

**At the same time in Columbia University**

-

As Cody sat on his desk, his face flat down on the table dreadfully immersed in term papers and tests he didn't know how late it was.

Cody woke up at around 1:45 AM and as he fumbled about he saw the clock "That late already?" he then started packing his papers into a suitcase, putting his coat on and clearing his desk as he prepared to go home.

Cody and Irma lives in a flat just a few blocks away from the university, as he was walking he passed by one of his students whom he greeted "Hey Ed." Then they started conversing "Hey sir, so what's up?" Ed asked Cody as he replied "I just finished grading papers, I need to get back home to the Mrs. Soon or she'll start worrying." Once Ed heard that he asked "Do you have any children?" and Cody answered him "Unfortunately no."

"Well would you want a drink, C'mon I'll order you one. Sir I'd like to order a Bloody Mary and a Flatliner." Ed ordered only to get an abrupt question from Cody "What the hell is a flatliner?" Ed then thought of how he could explain "It's a drink with so much kick that it's named after the flat line that appears on a heartbeat machine when you're dead.

"Why the heck did you order that for me?" Cody asked only to be answered with "No you have the Bloody Mary, The Flatliner's for me." "What?" Cody blurted out as he then added "I don't like Bloody Mary's and since I haven't ever had a flatliner let me have one."

"Bartender, change that order and make that two flatliners." Ed told the bartender as they then started chatting about things.

Before long their drinks arrived and they drank them fast.

Cody then said bye and started limping back home since he was very drunk

As he was walking the silence around him suddenly stopped when he heard a voice "Give me all your money!" he then looked in front of him and saw a masked man. Cody, not the kind of man to be getting into a brawl promptly gave his wallet but took out all the pictures in it. The man then said "Gimme your ring." Which was apparently Cody's wedding ring, which he refused to give. The man then gave him a great punch in the face, Cody then fell to the ground unconscious as the man made off with his ring.

He lay there unconscious for thirty minutes before he got up and to his dismay his ring wasn't on his finger anymore.

* * *

- 

**Now Back To The Pub**

**-**

Zack and Maddie gave each other stares, stares so short that it was unnoticed but for the two of them those few seconds seemed like an eternity. Until Zack stopped staring and thought of a song he once composed just for the occasion.

"This is a song I would like to dedicate to this girl I haven't seen for a long time and grew up to be such a beautiful and mature woman." Zack stated as he got ready to sing. This song is called "_Longing to Love_"

-

"I knew you

_For so long_

_You said no_

_But you were wrong"_

_-_

"_For so long_

_I waited_

_Waited, to be disappointed_

_But I still love you_

_And in the end_

_It doesn't matter"_

_-_

"_But way back then_

_I let you go_

_I moved and left_

_But my heart stayed with you_

_I will never let you go"_

_-_

"_For so long_

_I waited_

_Waited, to be disappointed_

_But I still love you_

_And in the end_

_It doesn't matter" _

_-_

"_I long for you_

_Staring at your Hazel eyes_

_Your skin so smooth_

_I long to touch_

_I've always longed_

_I've longed to love you"_

_-_

"_Old reasons no longer matter_

_I have loved you always_

_Through the fun and laughter_

_Through the pain and pleasure"_

_-_

_"I long for you_

_Nothing else matters..."_

_-_

Zack then put down his guitar and nodded his head in a shallow bow.

There was plenty of clapping and a few cheers, only Maddie shed a few tears although few enough as to go unnoticed. Zack then stood up from the stool he was sitting on and started walking up to Maddie, As he walked the weight of his past fell on his shoulders as each step he took felt like years until he finally came up to her.

As he sat down there was a long moment of awkward silence, as the two didn't know what to say to each other. Until Zack who instinctively knew only one way to get around this silence, he then suddenly said, "I love you Maddie." He then pulled her quickly for a kiss. As the seconds went by, it was as if time stood still for the two of them.

As they broke off Zack heard a voice from behind him "Good job Zack!" Zack then turned and saw Mike, he then told him "Thank you sir, oh and my the way, Maddie this is Mike the pubs bartender and my employer, Mike this is Maddie." Mike then said "So Maddie, Maddie where have I heard your name before, were you on a play or a musical of sorts?" "Yes I'm on tour, I'm with the production "Two Summers and A Winter In Iraq". Maddie answers, as Mike was amazed of the level of prestige Maddie had in that production. "Well I'll just leave you two kids alone." Mike added only to be replied by Zack who said "You better, or you'll be looking for a new headliner musician." They then had a good laugh out of that comment as Mike walked away.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Zack asked as Maddie started looking at the menu "I'll have a pint of Guinness." Maddie said as Zack had started ordering "That would be a pint of Guinness and a shot of tequila." Zack and Maddie then started chatting but Zack kept quiet about his daughter or his relationship with Max. "So, Zack how's it been?" Maddie asked Zack then answered "Well, Life has its ups and downs but I can tell you that I kinda went downhill ever since I moved away from you." But Maddie then quickly added "But you got over it and then stood on your own two feet and did very well in college, I'm so proud of you Zack." But then Zack said "No, Maddie ever since I left I have gone downhill permanently, I didn't finish college in fact I dropped out a year after I left you and this job I have right now, I only got it this Wednesday."

Upon hearing that Maddie felt so ashamed that she didn't just come with Zack when he moved. "I'm sorry Zack, if there's anything I can ever do please just tell me." Maddie said Zack then answered "Just stay with me. That's good enough for me." But Maddie surprisingly declined by saying "No, Zack I have a career now. I can only stay in New York for two weeks, then I have to go with the production. I would only settle down after two years." "So this is it, I waited for five years until you really loved me then I moved waited for another six years and then you tell me you're leaving me for another two years, in the end we'll be waiting each other out." Zack abruptly and angrily said, his voice's tone was so loud some people having a drink actually noticed him.

"Zack, don't take it that way, I can't just give this up. Tell you what I promise that once my tour ends I will come back for you." Maddie then promised only to be replied to by a pissed off Zack "Five fucking years, another six awful years and now two more, I mean C'mon when will this end!" Maddie then said "Look Zack I really can't, If you want we can forget we had that conversation and enjoy this two weeks we have with each other." Another one of Zack's rash comments then broke Maddie's moderate voice when he said "You know what that sounds like, remember six years ago before I moved when you and my mom made sure that my last week in Boston was best week I've ever had. There you go again!" Maddie then argued "Zack there's nothing more I can do, please just accept that offer so we can at least enjoy the time we have left together."

After a short moment of silence Zack then agreed "Yeah your right Maddie we should stop arguing about this, I don't know why you are always right." After which Maddie responded with "C'mon Zack, are you trying to flatter me." Zack then responded by saying, "If I was do I get a kiss." They then kissed afterwards.

The two spent around an hour there, just chatting and drinking. By the end of the night Zack has had six shots or cups of a wide assortment of liquor and Maddie has had three to four pints of Guinness. Zack then looked at his watch and saw how late it was he then woke Maddie up who was already droopy from the drinks "Maddie it's 3AM shouldn't you get back to your apartment." Zack said as he stumbled to get himself up being drunk himself, seeing that Maddie was drunk that he had to help her get back to her flat, he then helped her up and they started to walk out of the pub and back to Maddie's flat. After walking a few blocks they finally got there, they walked through the revolving doors and surprisingly enough the so-called "flat" Maddie was granted stay by the production was none other than the New York Tipton. As they walked the two then took the lift to go up to the 26th floor where Maddie's room was.

As they got to the room itself Maddie took her pass key and opened the door to her room, Zack then said "Well see you later this afternoon, bye." But as Zack was about to close the door Maddie opened it and said "Um Zack would you want to come in my suite." Zack then answered "Sure, why not."

Well to those of you who are too young to avail of the uncensored edition you probably know what they did next.

**(Scene censored due to content)**

**-**

**-**

-

* * *

- 

**A few hours before in that alley**

**-**

"What happened?" Cody asked to himself as he was bruised, smelt of alcohol and most importantly he lacked his wallet and worse his wedding ring. Everything looked blurry and it's as if he lost hearing until it gradually came back to him "Holy shit, I'm a mess what will Irma think about this. The more Cody thought about it, the more worried he became to return to Irma. "What if Irma thought I cheated on her or something, I just don't know what to do." Cody thought to himself. With that Cody hatched a plan so that Irma won't accuse him of anything. "I should call her up saying I have business somewhere and I'll have to stay in a flat for two weeks, during which I'll either save up enough money to buy an identical ring or even better, to get my ring back." He then walked to a nearby phone booth and started dialing his home's phone number.

Irma at that time was asleep when at around 3:30AM the phone rang, "Hello, Martin residence Irma speaking." She answered tiredly. "Hey honey." Cody greeted until he was asked, "Cody is it you, It's so late why aren't you home yet?" she asked curiously.

Cody then answered "Um listen the university is having a professor's conference in Washington DC and I'll have to stay there for two weeks sorry I didn't tell you but the bus is about to leave." But then this perplexed Irma when she asked "I work at the university and I wasn't informed about anything." Cody then answered "Another College there is hosting it and they've invited me personally." "Well have a nice time then dear. I love you, bye." Irma said ending the phone call. "Love you too." Cody replied as he put down the phone "Now I have to find somewhere to stay."

As he looked up and down all over the place he found this flat that was just about in his budget range, he went in and rented a room for two weeks. It cost him three hundred dollars but now he has to get some sleep, he has work tomorrow afternoon.

* * *

- 

**Meanwhile Back In Maddie's Suite**

**-**

It was about seven in the morning when they woke up, although still tired the sunlight woke them up.

The sunrise looked like a dream as if a new phase in the couple's life just began, neither knows that that new phase will cause them dearly and will almost destroy them. This will be the start of a great test, a test of their will to love each other or will it collapse like a house of cards.

"Morning Maddie." Zack told Maddie as they both lay in bed. "Yeah you too, had a rough time last night." Maddie answered which afterwards Zack curiously asked Maddie "Was that your first time?" Maddie then answered without hesitation "Yeah, I was waiting for you all these years, I still kept our promise." Zack was then confused and asked "Promise? What promise are you talking about." "Don't tell me you forgot about our promise, if you did let me remind you." Maddie answered.

_Flashback_

"_When I leave for New York would you immediately jump on the next guy that walks by the candy counter?" Zack curiously asked._

"_No I'll wait for us to see each other again. Would you fall for another pretty face in New York." Maddie teasingly asked._

"_Yeah!" Zack sarcastically said._

_Maddie then gave him a strange look._

"_C'mon Maddie I've waited for this moment for 5 years I'll stick with you forever." Zack answered Maddie._

"_Are you sure? Forever is a very long time." Maddie asked._

"_Yeah" he answered as he leaned in to kiss her._

_End of Flashback_

-

"Oh yeah, that promise. Now I remember." Zack then nervously. "Was that your first" Maddie asked with the assumption that Zack's answer would be the same as hers. "Well um" Zack said hesitatingly. Maddie couldn't understand why Zack was so hesitant but she just thought to herself "It's just another one of Zack's tricks to make me anxious." "As you know I can never lie to you Maddie." Zack explained but Maddie still thought it's just one of Zack's jokes until Maddie's blood ran cold the second he heard his answer. One word which caused the young woman's heart to stop beating for a second and just one word which caused everything she believed in to come crashing down.

-

"No"

-

* * *

**A/N: Man evil cliffhanger, well we'll find out Maddie's reaction soon. I'll try to update on either Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday, my semestral break is over so I could only do one or two updates a week but don't be disappointed if I'm not able to update, Trust me I'm trying my very best. If any of you guys want the uncut/uncensored version just PM me or include it in your reviews, and please specify how you'll receive it either in a PM or an E-Mail with a word doc attachment of the chapter. If you chose the E-Mail option just PM me your E-Mail ad and I'll send it to you.**

**And please review Love it Hate it just review it, I want to see how much I'm improving or degrading so I can improve even more and your reviews also show your support for me and this story.**

**Thank you for taking the time to read this work I have managed to put together and I hope you enjoyed it. My writing is like a journey and it has been a pleasure and an honor to take you with me.**

**Well that's it till next update.**

_**Diego**_


	5. A Cold Day In Hell

**Chapter 4**

**A cold day in hell**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own "The Suite Life Of Zack and Cody" if I did I'd be happier than usual, but that is not the case.

**(A/N: Thanks for everybody who reviewed Thanks for giving your support for this story. And for those who availed of the uncensored edition of the last chapter, I hope you liked it. Please review, not only does it help me improve but it also shows your support. And recommend this series to your friends if they're big fans of the genre or the show.)**

**Last Time On "A Lost Past": **Cody is now on the run from his own wife when his wedding ring got stolen by a thief from a night of drinking and left him battered and bruised. As for Zack and Maddie, they found each other that night on Zack's show and as Cody once put it on the Christmas episode of The Suite Life "They rekindled their flame of love". Until Maddie found out one of Zack's secrets

* * *

**-**

**Now onto the story**

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"No, no, no," It's as if the world went still as the same word rang through Maddie's ear as she tried to comprehend what she just heard. "No?" Maddie abruptly blurted as a question only to be answered again only by one word: "Yes". Zack said as he was putting his pants back on.

"Why, how?" Maddie quickly asked until Zack told her the full truth "I have a daughter. When I left I felt so depressed, I felt so crazy that I went for the next girl that came by. She was Max, she then gave birth to a daughter." Maddie could only listen, mouth agape and shocked by the things Zack said. It was as if all the notions she had of her and Zack crumbled and everything shattered. Until Zack finally added "Max, died in an automobile accident. My mom has never talked to me since I got her pregnant." Maddie was then shocked at how bad things got for Zack but still felt bad at the fact that Zack didn't wait for her and that she waited for so long for him.

After a long moment of silence a single sentence broke it "Well, and you say I was the one who lacked commitment. When you just went for the first girl you saw two weeks after leaving." Maddie regretfully said only to be yelled back "How dare you say that! After all the things I told you, all the hardships I had. Can't you feel me, feel what I felt, be compassionate for me?" Zack said as he started fuming at Maddie's lack of sensitivity. He was an enraged man, as much as he loved Maddie he also learnt to love Max and their daughter and here was Maddie talking about it as if they were a mistake. As well as how Maddie couldn't understand the hardships he felt, but who could blame her. It's not as if anything from the past could make her expect something like this would happen.

"Sorry Zack I really didn't mean it that way, please!" Maddie pleaded only to be barked "Just fuck off!" by Zack, not realizing that he is the one in fact who is staying in her suite. "Well, get out then!" Maddie yelled and as Zack walked out the door she yelled "How dare you bark at me in my own suite!" But it was done, there was nothing left to do. She realized that, now feeling helpless of what had happened she slowly sat down on the bed and started crying. After a while she then looked at her bedside table, there she saw her handbag. She scrounged around inside it to find her guiding light of hope all these years, she then pulled out a small box, when she opened it she found something which she had kept for six years. Her ring, which Zack told Bob to give her. As she stared at it, she realized that what Zack did in the past didn't matter anymore. She wanted him, and he wanted her, for them nothing meant more than that.

After Zack ran he thought of nothing but anger, his heart was no longer in the moment and just like that it's as if everything felt cold. He then looked at his watch and it was already 7AM he then rushed home. As he got home his daughter greeted him "Hey dad, how are you and why are you late." He then answered "I met a few friends and had a couple of drinks, how about you did you do well in your math?" Kylie then answered her dad's question with "Yeah I did do well, and could I stay over at a friend's house tonight, I was invited to a slumber party." Zack then said "So you're not coming with me to the theatre, I got the tickets." "Yeah, sorry dad maybe next time." She replied not knowing that Zack was actually happy with that fact, now he had a choice. Ignore his problems and just forget Maddie and that whole mess last night or face his fears and try to talk to Maddie after the show. All of this he pondered over until his daughter said "Here, you got this odd letter from the mail this morning." As Zack took a look at that envelope he feared the worst for the stamp on the letter said Department Of Defense. He then opened it only to have one of his deepest and longest running fears come true, he was now drafted to go to Iraq whether he wanted to or not.

After thinking about it he decided to call up Cody, as he picked the phone up he dialed Cody's number. "Hey Cody, this is going to be hard to explain but." Zack said until he paused. "But what?" Cody asked before Zack continued "I just got drafted, I have to leave for basic training in two weeks." "That's awful, should I tell mom?" Cody replied. "Nah what difference would it make, my question is that could you take care of Kylie for me since I have to leave." Zack said before Cody answered "Sure, sure I could do that, but what about mom, I think she deserves to find out." "Okay tell her then, but I don't think it changes anything. Oh and by the way you'll never guess who I met last night, Maddie, yeah she works in this theatre production. Except we had some problems." Zack said back quickly before he unhesitatingly put down the phone. "Okay, bye Cody." Zack said as he hung up the phone. With this newfound problem he quickly realized how valuable his time was left, how much value his love for Maddie had and more importantly how much she meant to him. With that he took a nap and when he got up it was already 4AM and he then took his coat and got ready to go to the show at 8. Kylie already went to her friend's house for her slumber party.

* * *

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**On The Theatre's Backstage**

-

'Alright people, places." The director shouted. He was then approached by Dmitri who informed him of something important, "Sir, Maddie's not here yet." He then started rubbing his forehead thinking of what they should do next "What about the understudy?" he replied. Dmitri then replied "Tina's here and she could fill in for Maddie." "Good!" the director responded as he still wondered what Maddie was doing.

It was 8PM and the show was about to start, Zack hurried to get to a seat. As he sat there he saw the curtains part and found out that Maddie wasn't performing. He continued to watch a bit till it was confirmed that she wasn't there that night. He then put on his coat and walked out the theatre. As he passed by the lights of Time Square, bright as they are he was still looking for the brightest light which shined inside him, Maddie. As he walked at the sidewalk he was trying to figure out where she could be, until it struck him. Maybe she went to where they met yesterday, with that Zack quickly ran back to the pub.

Sure enough he saw her there, having a cold drink. Alone and lonely, he approached her. Nervously with each step, thinking of what he should say to make her feel better. "Hey Maddie." Zack said "Why? Are you here to yell at me again?" Maddie quietly replied, as she looked so sad and unsatisfied. "Maddie, about this morning, I was carried away I didn't know what I was doing. And I'm so utterly and deeply sorry for yelling at you." Zack then said with all his heart. "I didn't know what I was doing either." Maddie then replied until Zack asked her "Why?" "Zack, I didn't know so much has changed. You're not the same seventeen-year old boy I knew six years ago. Last night was a mistake Zack, a big mistake that only someone as stupid as me could make." Maddie said before Zack interrupted "Why was it a mistake? I mean you still love me do you?" Maddie then said "C'mon, sleeping with someone I've only got to know again for one night, putting life on hold for six long years waiting for you when your life went on." Zack then went on to say "Maddie, please I may not be the same Zack you used to know. Even you said that when we started dating when I was still 17 but one thing stayed the same for all these years, and that's the fact that I love you. From the first day I saw you when I was 11 I had already fallen, from then on I knew you were the one. You were the one I wanted, the one I'd love till the day I die and even after that, The one I want to marry and have kids with. You are the one."

After that Maddie's heart warmed, it's as if it melted in contrast to when it froze earlier that morning. Tears then started to run down her cheeks, his words brought so many memories, Memories that touched her heart as well as her soul. "Zack, I'm sorry about this morning and I love you." Maddie slowly said. As she said those last three words Zack was anticipating he felt those words exit her lips and echo through his ears. He then without hesitation pulled her in and kissed her, again it felt so warm and tender. As his lips touched hers he knew he was in the moment. As their tongues intertwined Zack started pushing his tongue deeper. As they pulled off Maddie then asked "What about my career, we'll have to wait another two years before we could settle down." "I'd wait for you any day Maddie, come rain or shine. Cause you are worth waiting for, even if it means waiting forever." Maddie then hugged him saying, "I hope you don't leave." Zack then felt that he had to tell her that he was drafted. "Maddie, I have something to tell you." He said seriously. Maddie then started giggling then joked "What? It's not as if you ran off and joined the army or something like that." She said as a jest. "Not quite, I was drafted." Zack said until Maddie quickly asked "What?" as she didn't believe what she just heard. "Yeah, I was drafted. I'm going to ship to Iraq with the Mobile Infantry, whether I like it or not." Zack responded. "How long would you be gone?" Maddie sadly asked. "Maybe one year, two max." Zack slowly responded. The two then hugged each other, as they both found out that fate parted them just soon after when they met and that they waited endlessly for each other.

After a very long, sober moment there was quiet until it was broken when Maddie enthusiastically said, "Now we really must make this the best week you've ever had." "Where do we start?" Zack asked only to be answered "What about I meet your daughter and see where you live, I'm sure you'd like that." Zack then asked, "Do you think we should get married before I leave or get engaged and get married when I get back?" "Now Zack, that's still far off, we'll have to slow down." Maddie responded as the two continued talking.

-

_In the end they were as strong as ever, indeed it was a cold day in hell, if only just for a day._

-

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**A/N: Hey well that's the fifth chapter, I hope everyone liked it. I plan on updating sometime within the week and I hope everyone gets to read it. Please review, it helps me to know that this story is going somewhere. And if you have any friends on this site who watch the show or who likes the genre then recommend it to them. I might add another censored scene in some other chapter. I love how this story is going and I hope you love it as well. Well it's like 2AM here and I'm dead tired so I hope my labour pays off.**

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**Well until next time**

**-**

**_Diego_ **


	6. Once In A While

**Chapter 6**

**Once In a while**

**A/N: I'm glad for all the readers who loved the last chapters and left reviews. I really loved them, and I just updated my profile so that it has a little info on my upcoming fic "The Dip Sucks" as well as more personal info and pictures.**

**Last Time On "A Lost Past: **Zack and Maddie's relationship has just survived the ghost of Zack's past and o Maddie's new found obsession with Zack. They have survived their Cold Day In Hell but just as they did so Zack has just been drafted. Will they stay together, would they hold out?

* * *

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**Now Onto The Story**

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As the two walked towards the bus station Zack was just telling Maddie about his daughter. "She takes after me a lot, my hair, my eyes, nose. As well as my ineptness in math." Zack said as he continued to walk with her to the bus stop to get a bus back home. It was already 11:30 PM, as Maddie continued to hear Zack speak of her the more she found out how much life has changed for Zack, because all these years she had waited she had literally put her life on hold. "So Zack, who would take care of her while you're gone?" Maddie asked, as she curiously wanted to find out where she'll stay. "With Cody, she'll be better there till things come back to usual." Zack answered until Maddie asked another question "So Cody's married, to whom?" "To Irma, you know her. You met in the prom six years ago."

-

Zack answered only to get an unexpected answer from Maddie when she asked afterwards "What if Kylie stays with me, I mean I may need to bond with her." "No, absolutely not. Once, she heard of you and she took a negative response about it." Zack answered only to be rebuffed by Maddie when she stated "It's completely natural of her to take a negative view of me since she feels that I cannot replace her real mother, but maybe with a little bonding with her maybe she could accept me with you." Zack then replied teasingly "Have you've been reading those parenting books?" They had a good laugh afterwards as they boarded the bus.

-

As they got to the apartment Zack was still talking, it's as if he couldn't stop. As they got to his floor he got his keys and opened the door, he realized that Kylie was at her slumber party and that Maddie couldn't meet her yet. The two of them then sat on the sofa, as they did Zack then stood up and paced to the kitchen. Once there, he put a bag of popcorn in the microwave to cook. As they waited, Maddie suggested that they watch something to pass the time.

-

As they turned the TV on it was on a news channel. "On today's story Baghdad is under heavy attack by elements of the Mehdi army and operations there are under critical situations. The US embassy is evacuating all of its delegates and staff. Casualties this week has risen to eighty-five." The newscaster said before, he was cut off by Maddie switching the channel. "Mads, why did you switch the channel. I was watching that." Zack said after she started channel surfing. "Zack, it's very unpleasant to watch that knowing you'll be there in less than three weeks." Maddie answered as she turned the TV off and started looking for a DVD.

-

As Zack went back to the kitchen to retrieve the popcorn, Maddie finally found a movie that they could watch. When Zack came back he opened the bag then sat down. After two hours Maddie fell asleep on Zack's shoulder and Zack, feeling drowsy himself fell asleep as well.

* * *

**-**

**Now inside Cody's new apartment**

-

"Two-hundred, five-hundred, eight-hundred, ah only seven-hundred dollars more then I could move back with Irma." Cody said as he counted the money he managed to save up. He then afterwards decided to call his mother, but as he grabbed his cell-phone it rang. When he answered it he just found out it was exactly the person he wanted to call. "Hey mom, how's it been. What? How?" Cody said as he answered the phone. The thing that his mom said put him through a state of disbelief. "Okay mom, bye."

-

As Cody put down the phone crying, a death of a family member could be quite painful especially if that person was close. For Cody it wasn't that close or loved but she was his grandmother either way. Cody wept and cried for several hours, remembering all the things he used to do with their grandmother, good and bad. Like how she would spoil Cody or how her dentures would fall into their chocolate milk. Not only would her funeral be an important event for him but even more for Zack, since finally after six years their mother finally wished to talk to Zack. "I need to call Zack." Cody thought to himself as he picked up the phone.

* * *

- 

**Zack's apartment, 2:30 AM**

-

As Zack fell asleep the phone suddenly rang, "Hello, Martin residence Zack speaking." Zack said as he answered the phone. "Hey Zack, this is Cody. I have terrible news our grandmother just passed away. She died peacefully in her sleep the funeral would be on Thursday." Cody said when Zack picked up the phone. There was a few seconds of silence, as Zack couldn't believe what he just heard. "Hello Zack, are you still there. Well anyway Mom wants to talk to you at last at the funeral I hope you could come, I'll invite Tapeworm, Bob, Warren and Jeremy." Cody said to break the silence before Zack only said a resounding "Ok, well bye then." Before he hung up the phone.

-

Afterwards Zack just stood there, partly from extreme sadness, fear and anxiety. Who knew what his mom would finally tell him after all these years? After standing there for several minutes he walked a bit then collapsed on the sofa crying. His crying was so loud that it woke Maddie up. "What is it Zack, what's wrong?" Maddie asked Zack. Zack then sadly mumbled "Grandma just died." Before he broke into more tears. Maddie then rested his head on her shoulder and started to pat him on the back. "Shhh, shh, sh don't cry. Everything's gonna be alright." Maddie said as she continued to pat him. "Why her, why now?" Zack asked, full of distress and sorrow. Suddenly Maddie realized that Zack has never had the experience of a family member dying and tried to give him some comforting words

-

"Well, Zack everyone has their time. Just like everything life doesn't last forever, it's the memories and love that person has experienced that make everything worthwhile. And in the end you never really worry about how long you've lived, you think about the things you've accomplished and the people who've been there for you." Maddie said. Zack then started to stop crying as Maddie wiped his tears from his deep blue eyes, reddened by crying. "Tell you what, what about I come with you to the funeral. You know for emotional support and to help you confront your mom." Maddie added. The two then fell asleep a few minutes later on the sofa.

* * *

- 

**Later at around 7 AM**

**-**

Later that morning a van parked in front of the building, "Thank you Mrs. Prichards" Kylie said as she exited the vehicle. As she went to the elevator Zack and Maddie were still asleep on the sofa. As she got to their floor she opened the door and what she saw shocked her. She saw her father along with this other woman. "Dad? Dad!" She yelled out, waking the tired man. "Oh hey hun, how was the party?" Zack asked only to be given an answer in a rude tone. "Who's the woman?" she asked as Zack was fumbling a bit because he didn't know what to say. "Um Kylie, this is Maddie Fitzpatrick." Zack said hoping that Kylie didn't remember the time she found out about Maddie. "You mean that girl that you were in love with six years ago?" she inquisitively asked. All he could answer was "Yeah." "Dad how could you!" Kylie then shouted angrily at her own father.

-

Zack was then pissed after getting yelled at, sure at first he could understand why Kylie could have a negative reaction to Maddie but this was too much. He had to control her, but how? Yell at her? Nah, it'll just make it worse. Try to reason with her? No, she is very stubborn. So what now? He then woke Maddie up "Maddie, this is Kylie." Zack said as she stretched out a bit, since she's still tired from last night. "Pleased to meet you." Maddie said as she put forward her hand to Kylie. "Yeah, yeah." Kylie said as she shook Maddie's hand. "So what about the two of you have some time to bond." Zack suggested as Maddie nodded her head in agreement.

-

"No!" Kylie responded just before Maddie insisted. "What about I take you to the mall as your father here picks up his uniform from the recruitment centre." Maddie said before Kylie hastily replied "Dad, why are you going to the recruitment centre?" "Well, sorry to tell you this Kylie but I have to go." Zack answered. "Go, Where?" Kylie added as Zack tried to find a way on how to tell Kylie this. "Well I have to go, they called me up." Zack said as Kylie started to wonder why. "Please, just try to spend some time with Maddie, it would make daddy really happy. You may not see me for a long time once I leave and it would be nice if you tried to get along with her." Zack asked as he started to pout. "Okay, dad. Just to make you feel better." Kylie responded as she agreed to go with Maddie.

* * *

- 

**Later, In The Recruitment Centre**

**-**

When Zack entered the building he was very shocked, he saw crowds upon crowds of young men, most were only nineteen, a few, lie about their age and were only sixteen. On the other side of the building came the biggest and most tragic surprise, many young men of the same age crippled, Missing limbs, mentally unstable and most of all wounded. They seem to be there to claim their army insurance pay out. As Zack came in there was a long line, after a few hours he finally got to the front of the line. He then checked up his name and given his unit and his list for equipment to be issued. He was now attached to the 10th Mobile Infantry Division to be stationed in southern Iraq. He will leave Maddie behind on Friday, just enough time to at least enjoy his time with her and his daughter. He then went off to the mall to do groceries.

-

As he got there he dragged a cart, aisle after aisle passed and as every one of them went by his cart filled up even more with the daily everyday necessities. He was lucky that he had a job, otherwise he wouldn't be able to have paid for the stuff. As he walked by inside the mall he saw Maddie and Kylie coming out of a salon. He then went up behind Maddie and covered her eyes asking "Guess who?" "If I do I win a kiss?" Maddie replied as Zack uncovered her eyes. As they kissed each other Kylie decided to give the two some privacy as she ordered a soda from one of the stands. "So how was your outing?" Zack curiously asked Maddie as he assumed that it was quite a rough time.

-

"It went pretty well actually, well at first she despised me but after a while we got to know each other and things ran smoothly after that." Maddie confidently answered. "Wow, and I thought it would be very hard. I guess you know your way around kids." Zack then stated only to be responded by Maddie who said "I used to baby-sit them." Obviously referring to the fact that she used to baby-sit Zack and Cody. As they called Kylie they thought about getting home and just talking.

-

Later as Kylie got ready to sleep Zack entered the room kissing her good night. "Kylie, um I have something to tell you." Zack said as Kylie listened attentively to him. "Well I know you got along well with Maddie and I've known her for awhile." Zack added only to be responded with "So what is it already?" Kylie anxiously asked.

-

"Well I just thought that since Maddie would only stay here for another three weeks that it would be okay with you if she live with us for a while." Zack answered as Kylie just listened. "Okay dad." She replied in a low voice as Zack then walked out the door. Kylie then heard voices outside her door. "So did she say yes?" Maddie asked. "Yeah" Zack replied happily as he added "She's never taken anyone in as easy as she did with you." Kylie then lay on her bed and thought about her mother. "What do I do now mum? I mean Maddie seems like a very nice person and she sure makes dad happy, but I don't know. I don't want her to replace you." Kylie thought to herself.

* * *

- 

**The Next Morning**

**-**

As Kylie go up she smelt something, it was one of her favorites. As she went out of her room she saw Maddie in the kitchen cooking her favorite, blueberry pancakes. It was something she hadn't tasted since her mother was still alive since Zack didn't know how to make them. "Hey Kylie!" Maddie greeted as she saw her, Kylie then went to the bathroom and washed her face. It was a Sunday and she didn't have school, Maddie and Zack have decided that they would go on a date that night.

-

Since Maddie had work Zack decided to watch her play and then have dinner afterwards. When she walked into the living room she saw a young lady enter the room, It was Tina, Maddie's understudy. "Oh great, Tina you're here. Well make sure you take care of her and be sure she's in bed by eight, we'll be back in the early morning." Maddie instructed. Zack then came out of the bathroom fully dressed and bathed ready to go, "So Maddie let's go." Zack said as Maddie took of the apron and went to the bathroom to dress and bathe. As she got out they got out of the apartment they hailed a cab to take them to shop in 5th avenue, and to have lunch.

-

The two then went their way

-

Zack now only has four days before he heads of for basic training.

-

No one knows how he'll get along with his mother in the funeral on Tuesday.

-

_Until next chapter..._

-

* * *

**A/N: Well that's it, that was chapter 6. I hope you guys liked it, I'll try to update within five days. I hope you guys review, I want to hear what you guys out there think of this. I'll probably post "The Dip Sucks" in the next week. If you read HSM fics you guys would like it, and if not it will be an interesting story nonetheless and I'm sure you'll be interested.**

**Well that's about it, Till next update**

**_Diego_ **


	7. Gone For Too Long

**Chapter 7**

**Gone For Too Long**

**Disclaimer:** I barely own anything much less the "Suite Life" So don't even think I own it.

**Last Time On "A Lost Past": **Last time we left off Zack's grandmother just passed away and his mother now wants to talk to him on the funeral after six years of not speaking to him. On Tuesday he must now go to war but will he survive it?

* * *

-

**Now onto the story**

-

As Zack woke up that Tuesday morning he realized that today was the day, and it's as if he didn't know how he could talk to his own mother.

It was as if he felt that she was never there for him like when Kylie was born or when he needed financial support.

She was just gone for too long, and he didn't know how to talk to her.

Either way Zack will try his best I'm sure he'll get along well with his mother, Maddie thought to herself as Zack nervously put on his tuxedo.

"So are you ready?" Maddie asked as Zack could only try to act confident when he quickly answered "I'll be as ready as I'll ever be."

Maddie then went to the restroom where she started to take her shower then dress up; it was a big day.

As Maddie got out of the bathroom Zack went up to her and then they kissed, "That's to get me ready." Zack humorously answered as Maddie started laughing.

Afterwards they put their formal attire inside their suitcases and went out of the apartment; they left Kylie with Tina again and told her that they'll be back in three days.

-

They then got into a taxi going to the airport; there they will go to a plane bound for Boston.

On the plane, Zack pondered some more on how to confront his mother.

For the entire duration of the flight Maddie saw Zack gritting his teeth, holding his own hands and he was also shivering a bit.

"Zack, are you feeling okay?" Maddie asked only to be answered by "Yeah, just nervous."

After two hours the plane finally arrived in Boston, there he saw a group of people waiting for him.

-

As he got closer he recognized his father in the crowd as he got closer to Zack.

"Hey Zackster." His dad said as he pulled Zack into a hug, "So how was your trip?" his dad asked as he answered "Well, enough. So how have you been, it's been so long."

His dad then answered "Well I've been better, as you know your Mother's mother just died and she has been inconsolable." As Zack listened and then asked, "How did she die anyway?" only to be horrified by his answer.

"Well as you know you had a daughter with Max and you had to quit college." He said before pausing as Zack was listening.

"When your mother visited her one day she asked how her grandson was, it was already six years that you had your daughter. When your mother finally told her the truth she was shocked at the fact that she's been a great-grandmother for all these years and didn't know about it. Two days later she died." He finished as Zack's jaw dropped in shock.

"I think I gonna feel sick." Zack thought to himself as he walked to the airport's restroom to vomit.

* * *

**-**

**Meanwhile in the restroom**

**-**

"Hold it together Zack, it wasn't your fault it was just a coincidence." Zack said to himself, he then afterwards walked out and he saw Maddie talking to a woman he hasn't seen for six years.

He then saw her kissing Maddie's forehead as he approached them.

Each step he took seemed like forever, it's as if time stood still around him and that everything else revolved around this conversation.

But before he got there, "Hey look where you're going!" he heard as he looked to his left and saw Warren, Bob and Jeremy fighting.

"How come you get to be sergeant." Warren yelled to Bob, as they fought some more they bumped into Zack who fell on the floor.

His mom and Maddie saw this and rushed to carry him up.

As he stood up he there was an awkward moment of silence between him and his mom.

"Well I'll leave the two of you alone to talk and I'll go check if the guys are okay." Maddie said as she walked away.

-

As the silence continued both couldn't say anything, until his mother finally broke the silence by saying, "Look, Zack I'm sorry that I treated you so roughly. I should've stuck with you like any good mother."

"Yeah, and I'm sorry about what I did but still I have a daughter now and you have to accept that. Mom, cant you? Can't you accept the fact that you're a grand-mother now?" Zack replied only to be answered by his mother in a more concerned tone.

"Zack, when I raised you I've always wanted you to be happy it's just that I always wanted you to finish college first, get a successful career then get married and start a family."

"Look at Bob, he's now teaching at Columbia University like Cody. Look at Tapeworm, he's now a resource consultant for a good company. Look at Warren, he's a lawyer at this great law firm. And look at Jeremy, he's trying to get a doctoral degree. Do you think you're ever gonna catch up with them." Zack's mom said before he interrupted her by saying, "I do have something that they haven't, the love of a daughter and not even the king of the world can top that."

With that Zack walked away from his mom and then to the funeral procession.

* * *

-

**Three Hours Later**

-

As the coffin was being lowered everyone was in deep mourning, at one point Zack even turned his back since he was ashamed, ashamed that he may have contributed to his own grandmother's demise.

Maddie then came up to him and gave him a light hug and patted him on the back, as she wiped his tears away the people were already starting to disperse as the diggers were already shoveling dirt on the coffin.

Bob, Tapeworm, Warren and Jeremy then came up to Zack and said "c'mon at least you're not getting drafted like the rest of us."

As Zack heard this he then curiously asked, "You guys have been drafted?" only to be answered by Jeremy "Yeah, we're in the 10th Mobile Infantry division." And then Tapeworm added "Yeah, and Bob's our sergeant."

The five guys then walked away laughing at the fact that when they go to war at least it's with good company.

-

Later Maddie was talking to Zack's mom, "Carey, can I ask you something?" Maddie concernedly asked.

"Sure honey, what's the matter?" Zack's mom answered before Maddie finally asked the question. "Well, Zack and I have been dating again and I just wanted to ask." Maddie asked before she was interrupted by Carey who said "If you could Marry him."

Maddie was startled by the fact that she guessed it decided to say "We really love each other and it would be great if you could give us your blessing when we get married."

"You do realize that he hasn't had a decent job and that you'd be left providing for your family since he isn't capable of doing so." Carey pointed out before Maddie responded.

"Yeah I know and I have a job that could provide for us, please it would make me and Zack extremely happy." Maddie replied before Carey answered "Maddie, you have always been like the daughter I've never had and if you think that you're ready to then you have my blessing. By the way what is your job?"

Maddie answered her question by saying, "When you guys left New York I replaced you as the lounge singer, then I was discovered by this drama troupe who put me in the hit production "Two Summers and A December in Iraq" and I've been moving with the troupe ever since.

* * *

-

**Meanwhile In The Mall**

-

"Now guys, I really love Maddie and I have to find her the perfect engagement gift." Zack asked his friends until he also added "I have to marry her before I get shipped to Iraq."

"How about a watch?" Bob said before Tapeworm also said "What about a locket?"

"Yeah, a locket would be perfect let's go buy it." Zack answered as they walked of to the jewelry store.

As he walked in he decided to buy a round locket which he had engraved on the words "_Zack and Maddie_"

He then put a picture of the two of them he had since they first dated over six years ago as well as a lock of his hair.

The five of them then decided to have a drink at a local pub.

As they went in they saw many men in uniform, apparently on leave from West Point.

But they also saw some with many medals and some had missing limbs, this sight sent a chill down their spines wondering if the five of them would get back in one piece.

As the five drank the night away, Zack was pondering the fact that he may not come back to Maddie.

His greatest fear now was the fact that so many interesting men, his friends, his comrades with such kind and interesting characters would all just be unknown statistics written on some wall.

-

As the five walked away, Zack was surprised at the time; it was already 1:30AM.

They dropped Zack off at his suite in the Tipton, which their mom rented for the guests of the funeral.

As he walked in it looked all so familiar, and yet oh so different.

He then saw his mother sitting on the couch, sleeping apparently.

He then got closer to try waking her before the lights suddenly turned on as Maddie walked out of the bathroom from her shower.

"Hey, Zack!" Maddie cheerfully greeted as Zack's mother woke up from her sleep.

"Yeah, how was your time with your friends. Did you have any fun?" Carey said as Zack put his messenger bag on the table.

"Yeah, we had a blast. Oh um by the way, Maddie would you talk to me in private." Zack replied as he took her to his former room.

-

"Maddie, I uh um…." Zack fumbled as he tried to tell her something important.

Maddie then abruptly said "C'mon, just out with it!" and with that Zack finally stated "Maddie, I love you more than anything else in the world so I was just wondering whether you'd consider marrying me?"

Maddie who was stunned could only reply with a resounding "Yes."

Silence then filled the room as the two just stared in each other's eyes as they both felt the same.

Apparently that little incident woke Cody up who was, covered in blankets completely ignored by the two.

He then got up and started clapping happily for the two.

As they kissed Zack then remembered something.

"Maddie, do you still have that ring I gave you on the night of my prom?" Zack asked until Maddie answered "I've always had it on a necklace next to my heart."

As he saw her ring he saw that it was so shiny and glittering it's as if all these years had no effect on it.

While as he pulled out his from his crumpled pocket the rings gold was tarnished from all those years.

It's as if it was a reflection of what has happened to him for the past years, so battered from both inside and out.

While Maddie's was also a reflection, hers was as if it had never been tarnished all this time but it was never worn it's as if it never fulfilled its purpose, her wants, needs and desires.

-

As they got out of the room they both showed Carey their fingers with the ring.

They then hugged and tried to settle a date for the wedding.

As the two slept it was the best night of their lives, Zack finally could sleep easily and Maddie now has what she's always wanted.

It was as if nothing could ruin the moment.

Until…

* * *

-

**At around four in the morning**

-

**Knock! Knock, **Zack then got up to open the door to see who it was.

"It's four in the fucking morning." Zack murmured as he opened the door.

After he opened the door he saw Bob, Tapeworm, Jeremy and Warren.

"C'mon, get dressed and pack your things. Now please!" Bob said, as Zack couldn't understand what the problem was.

With that Zack put some clothes, a toothbrush and some money in his suitcase and followed the guys out of the door.

"Why! What's the matter guys?" Zack asked as he walked with them.

Bob the quickly answered "We're being called up, it's an emergency!"

-

Zack then got on a payphone and called Maddie up.

As Maddie answered the phone she heard Zack on the other line.

"Zack? Where are you?" she asked only to be abruptly answered "Listen Maddie, I've been called up just take care of mom and Kylie for me please. And always remember that I love you and I'll try to get in contact as soon as possible. Bye"

With that he hung up as she heard of sounds of yelling on the other line.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon get in the trucks move, move, move!" yelled the drill sergeant as Zack, his friends and all the other recruits got into the trucks for a two weeks of basic training.

With that in mind he now only thought of how he could survive this and bring the boys back home in one piece…

-

* * *

**A/N: Well that was chapter 7 I hope you guys liked it! I'll try to update within a week and I hope you guys had a great Thanksgiving and have a happy holiday season ahead of you. I hope you guys review, please do! By the way this January I'll film a music video with my music group from school and we'll shoot a music video of a song I wrote. I'm the lead vocalist and I'll do a song from this story then upload the video on Youtube and post the link on my profile so I hope you guys would like it. I'll also try to record full songs and upload them that way this would be one of the few fanfics with it's own original soundtrack. Well I hope you guys liked it and thanks for reading and your continued support. **

**_I hope you guys READ, ENJOY and REVIEW this._**

_**Diego**_


	8. Dreams And Nightmares

**Chapter 8**

**Dreams And Nightmares**

**Disclaimer: **I Do Not Own "The Suite Life Of Zack And Cody" cause if I did I'd die of excitement

**Last Time On "A Lost Past":** Zack's mother finally talks to him at his grandmother's funeral only to upset each other. On the other hand Zack and Maddie's relationship is in full swing. But as they were just engaged, fate decided to tear the couple apart and sent Zack to the war in Iraq.

* * *

- 

**Now onto the story, Two weeks since we left off**

-

"As I got off the plane, sights of horror filled my mind" Zack thought to himself as he and his unit was dropped off in Baghdad International Airport.

He was now a new man, both inside and out.

His once long hair is now cut short into a Mohawk and his once gentle nature has been trained to be a killer.

As the men assembled they were unsure of what will happen next.

-

A very tall man, probably a 6'7 suddenly stepped on top of a few ammo crates and called for everyone's attention.

"Alright listen up I just want to tell you simply our current situation, the war, nowhere, the mission, bullshit and the soldiers to hell!" the man yelled out as the frightened men grasped on to their weapons in fear.

"Since we are the last ones to get here High command has decided that it would be a fetching idea that we be the last to leave." He added as the men all had sighs of disappointment.

-

"Alright now this is called "Operation: Baghdad", our job is to get the hell out of this god-damn war." He said to start the meeting off.

"Our job is to hold this road here between Al Amarah and Al Qurnah so that our men in Baghdad can have a hasty withdrawal to Kuwait, our unit's task is to take and hold Al Qurnah, stay there and wait for the armoured divisions." He added as he told the men their job.

And with that Zack and the rest of the guys hopped on a Bradley IFV and began the long drive to Al Qurnah.

-

As they got to the oasis near the town of Al Kut they decided to make camp there for the night.

As Zack walked to the Comm. Tent he decided to use on of the laptops to check his E-Mail.

As he opened his mailbox he saw a message from Maddie which has been there for a few days already.

As he opened it, what it contained shocked the young man and gave him a sense of pride and joy.

-

_Dear Zack,_

_How have you been? I know that you've had a really hard time in basic training._

_That said I have very important news to tell you, when you come home it won't be just you, Kylie and me._

_Yes, you're a father again and I'm so happy, I've never been a mother before. Lol_

_I just can't contain my happiness I just love you._

_I love you and I can't wait for the day that I could see you again._

_Lots of love_

_Maddie_

_-_

With that Zack was overjoyed, as he left the Comm. Tent he had tears in his eyes and all of his comrades who saw him were wondering at what happened.

"Hey guys, get up!" he yelled as he went inside the dugout the rest of the guys made to sleep in.

"What is it now Zack? We're sleeping for fuck's sake." Bob said angrily as he got up.

"I'm a dad again!" Zack said loudly with pride as the others looked in collective happiness.

As he said that all of the guys gave him pats of congratulations as all of them got back into their sleeping bags to sleep.

* * *

- 

**At two in the morning**

-

Zack suddenly woke up with the sounds of yelling outside, as he got out of the dugout he saw a sight that won't leave his young mind soon.

He saw his commander beating up this child, as he approached the man saw Zack getting closer.

"Get back to your post! There's nothing to see here!" the man yelled only to receive a very fiery reply from Zack who said "What the fuck are you doing with this child." As he pointed his finger at his commander.

"He tried to infiltrate the camp and steal some food." The commander hesitatingly replied, still reeling from that unexpected reply from Zack.

"Just leave him alone, he's just hungry!" Zack yelled back reaching into his pocket for his notebook and some candy.

-

As he gave the child the candy he started writing in his notebook, as his commander eyed him dreadfully.

"What the hell are you doing!" the commander yelled at him only to hear something unexpected from Zack who then answered "I'm gonna write a report on you and what you did."

The commander, frustrated and angry pulled out his pistol and then started shooting at the general direction of the child before Zack restrained him.

Luckily the child ran away to safety and wasn't hurt.

-

The commander then pushed Zack off, and he started yelling at him as he grabbed Zack's notebook.

He then tore the notebook and threw it to the campfire as he yelled at Zack "Imagine holding a position for two weeks with no food, you are a liability! I will have you court-martialed for this!"

"Men get up were moving out courtesy of our friend Pvt. Zack Martin!" he yelled out to wake the company.

-

Everyone got up hastily and grabbed all the stuff they could and jumped back into their vehicles.

As they began the long drive in pitch dark everyone in the vehicle eyed Zack with anger but deep inside Zack knew that he did the right thing.

Suddenly the lead vehicle went to a sudden stop and the commander started yelling at the driver.

The stop was apparently because as the driver looked at the map he found out that that area was mined.

Suddenly an RPG rocket hit the lead vehicle and as the column tried to back up the rear vehicle was also hit.

-

Zack then decided to do the unthinkable, he kicked the door of his vehicle open and pulled everyone out before their vehicle was also hit and exploded in a brilliant conflagration of light and flames and as pieces of metal and shrapnel which flew to the skies.

He then took his binoculars and saw that the enemy was shooting from a ravine at the side of the road.

He then grabbed his rifle and urged everyone to dismount from their vehicles to fight.

He ran, stopped then started shooting, and like a crazed madman he charged directly at an insurgent who promptly surrendered in front of him, the rest then ran.

-

Overall out of the twelve vehicles in their column, seven were disabled and out of the ninety men who were with them, twenty-six died and thirty wounded.

As Zack grabbed the prisoner by the collar to give him to the commander who shot him on sight.

"What? Why did you do that?" Zack yelled angrily at the man who yelled back "We don't take prisoners, they're just extra mouths to feed!"

Zack who saw that he could do nothing just walked off yelling, "Fuck you!" at his commander.

-

As all the remaining men got on the remaining vehicles along with the wounded they started the long drive again.

Inside the vehicle Bob curiously asked Zack a question "Why did you do that for the kid or take that man prisoner when you knew that you'll be punished by the commander.

Zack then replied with honor and conviction, "Life here, would be so much easier if you just stuck to your obligations as a soldier. But we don't and we shouldn't, we were human beings before we were soldiers."

* * *

- 

**Meanwhile in Basra**

-

"Alright listen up!" A man yelled out as he prepared to talk to his men.

"The elements of the yank's 10th Mobile infantry division which should have gone to Al Qurnah are late and now we are tasked to take and hold that position." He added.

"Why are the yanks late Jack!" one of the soldiers yelled out.

"Well they could be facing stiff resistance from the insurgents." Jack Willis replied.

-

As the British 1st Queen's Yeomanry mounted on their vehicles they then started to drive north to Al Qurnah.

Jack Willis then turned his radio on and began listening to the radio as he dozed off to sleep in the passenger seat.

-

As Zack just sat there he had a feeling that once he got there he would meet someone from his past, little does he know that he's right.

* * *

- 

**Meanwhile Back Home**

- 

As Maddie was in the theatre everyone was hugging her and all of them were very happy for her.

"We sure would miss you Maddie." Tina said as she approached Maddie who replied "Me too, but I'll go back on tour next year. Don't worry."

Everyone was very happy for Maddie and most gave her parting gifts before she goes on her pregnancy leave from her career.

Everyone but Dmitri who saw this as something which he was angered by.

-

_This will later go through boiling point._

-

* * *

**A/N: Sorry that it was kinda short it's only roughly 1500 words when the standard for this story is 2000. Well anyway I hope you guys liked it and I'll try to update soon this week.**

**I'll update fast on Christmas break, which is only a tad bit more than a week from now.**

**Please review, I want to see your reaction for this chapter and hear your opinion.**

**-**

_**Well Until Next update**_

-

_**Diego**_


	9. One Hell Of A Ride

**Chapter 9**

**Hell Of A Ride**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything, even if I pretended to then I'd look like a maniac.

**A/N: I'm so sorry for not updating for so long, I was very busy. But enough excuses, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! (Not really enjoy since it's quite a sad chapter) and there's a very tragic twist at the later half of this story so I hope you get to read it since it's an important part of the story.**

**Las Time On "A Lost Past": **Zack just discovered that he would be a father again, but as the tide of war looms over the horizon he must now fight for his life to get back home. But will he and his men, his friends, his comrades ever feel the warmth of home again?

* * *

- **Now onto the story**

**-**

As Zack looked outside the window of his vehicle he saw a long column of tanks racing across the desert, in a frantic race to escape this hellhole.

Apparently the insurgents captured an arms stockpile and they were now pursuing them through the desert.

Followed by the sight of Bradley IVF's with men seated on top going across the retreat.

One of the men on top recognized Zack.

Without hesitation the man told the driver of his vehicle to slow down so that he could talk to Zack as their vehicles were driving by each other.

"Hey, Zack!" the man yelled as Zack diverted his attention to the vehicle to his left.

-

"Trevor? Is that you?!" Zack yelled out in response only to get a grin back.

"Listen are you still in contact with Maddie, if so tell her I'm alright and that I'm heading home!" Trevor yelled from the other vehicle until Zack replied yelling out "We're kinda together now but I'll just tell her you're okay!"

And with that Trevor could only yell "Thanks!" as his vehicle out-sped Zack's and went ahead.

-

"I didn't know that Trevor was serving, man he must have been here long judging by his medals" Zack thought to himself as the vehicle continued to drive.

Zack then sat there with a feeling of happiness knowing at least someone he knew managed to claw himself out.

As he sat there he felt something, something in his gut, something he sensed was going to go horribly wrong.

-

Until………

-

"BOOM!, BOOM!, BOOM!" Zack heard as artillery shells started falling in front of the column.

The first Bradley was hit and went up in flames as the corpses of the men inside were flung into midair.

He turned his head and he saw a Bradley's hatch open to reveal the driver clawing himself out as he was burnt into a cinder of ash and blood.

The sound of the incoming shells was coming from their own artillery, which was mounting a full barrage of this sector of the desert.

As he saw the carnage unfold around him it was as if his intuition kicked in and took control.

-

As he ran past his commander's vehicle he saw his commander cowering behind a rock as the rest of the command staff tried to assess the situation.

At the sight of his be-crazed commander he quickly realized that it was up to him to save the company and save as many men as possible.

Zack then told his commander to sit down and started taking control himself, ordering the radioman to tell base that they were shelling their own men.

-

Within a few seconds the shelling stopped with a horrific aftermath as vehicles were ruined.

So many young men were painfully lying on the ground as they now face an agonizing death as the rest were forced to leave the ones who couldn't fit in the vehicles.

As Zack suddenly trembled to his knees at the horror of the situation as he stared at the face of a dead soldier, so young, so strong so much like him.

Bob then approached him and patted him on the back saying, "You saved many young lives today, you should be proud of yourself."

-

After Bob left Zack's commander then approached him and with pride and arrogance only nodded in satisfaction blurting out "You have potential, kid."

With a smug smile, so smug that Zack wanted to kick his teeth off.

Upon controlling himself all he could do was murmur to the man "You have no Idea." As he walked to the nearest man lying wounded on the ground to help him up to a vehicle.

-

* * *

**Three Hours Later**

**-**

As the column continued moving to Al Qurnah Zack just sat there in the commander's vehicle as the rest ran out of room.

The two men were staring at each other, neither knew what to say to the other as miles of driving went on without a word being spoken.

There was a deep and long moment of silence between the commander and Zack until the commander spoke.

-

"Where do you come from son?" he said as Zack, startled by the start of a conversation quickly answered "Boston, Massachusetts sir."

"Why did you join up?" the commander added as Zack answered with an irritated mood "I was drafted sir, I'd rather be in a thousand other places than get stuck here. In fact I think that I'm quite screwed."

-

The commander sensing hostility then asked Zack "Have you ever thought of turning the army into a career?" until Zack then answered "Absolutely not sir, why do you ask?"

"You know, the glory and the action." Before Zack answered back saying "In any war everybody gets a shitty deal, even the Iraqis we're fighting for some bureaucrat in Washington."

The commander answered before they saw something out of the window that caused them to sit still in shock.

-

The column of tanks that they saw just three hours ago lay wasted in the open desert, apparently from an insurgent attack.

They saw more than a hundred men lying, dead or wounded in the hot sand as they screamed with agony for help.

As the two walked across the site they saw several men apparently stabbed by daggers in close combat as some of their comrades pray for them.

"So are you still thinking of glory, there are no good soldiers in a dirty war, sir." Zack blurted as he spotted a look of disgust in the commander's eyes.

-

As he looked at the wreckage he saw Trevor, just standing next to his friend's corpse as he silently mourned his death.

"Was he close?" Zack asked Trevor as he turned around.

Trevor then hesitated before answering Zack's

"He left his family and his girl back home thinking he was going to do good here, he had so many hopes and dreams about what he'd do when he got back. Now he's dead and now his dreams are lost, that's the sad thing about war, so many young men giving up their lives for causes both noble or wicked and in turn giving up not just their lives but their dreams."

-

Zack was so shocked by what Trevor told him that he bent on his knees to the man's corpse.

"War's one of the greatest graveyards not just for men but also their hopes and dreams, both humble and grand." Trevor finished before he helped Zack up before they walked back to the convoy.

What either of them didn't know was that it would get worse.

* * *

**Five Hours Later**

**-**

The convoy finally reached Al Qurnah in the dark as the men prepared their positions expecting an insurgent attack.

Zack, who was tired from the long drive decided to take the guys in an abandoned apartment building and decided to sleep there.

So far he managed to keep Bob, Warren, Jeremy, Tapeworm and Trevor alive and knowing that let him sleep easily.

Bob then laid the LAW anti-tank rocket on the floor with all of his gear as he prepared to take a nap as well.

Tapeworm and Warren were sharing a smoke as they let the time pass by them during this late hour.

-

"So is Maddie doing fine?" Trevor asked Zack as the two sat there with nothing to do.

Zack then tiredly replied "She's fine, actually she's pregnant right now and I'm gonna be a father when I come home." As Trevor listened attentively to Zack's reply before telling Zack his gladness and happiness for him.

"Good! That's excellent, I'm so happy for you Zack. In fact my son's turning three next year and it would be great if you and Maddie could come for a visit sometime." Trevor said as he looked out the window noticing some guys digging a ditch on the outskirts of the town.

-

"You start to worry when you bond with your friends in battle. It gives you a feeling that something's going to go tragically wrong." Zack thought to himself as he saw his best mates, his lads, and his chaps talking the night away.

"Hey, Zack why aren't you sleeping yet?" asked Bob as Zack continued to stay awake staring out the window.

Zack then glanced at Bob and answered "It's the quiet times in battle that I'm most afraid of. It's as if you don't know what will happen next."

The conversation between the two woke Trevor up and made him angry.

-

"Listen, Zack. A piece of advice, never keep your head out that window for too long unless you want it blown off. Now get back to sleep!" Trevor grumpily replied as he dozed off.

Now that Zack wasn't worrying so much he desired to think about other things, things which didn't involve his head getting blown in half.

But what to think of, there's so much he wanted to thing and yet he couldn't decide.

-

He wanted Maddie, no he longed for Maddie.

It was as if he was now, a man possessed, as he now couldn't sleep thinking about her.

The warmth of her smile, the flow of her hair, Oh god if every man knew he had a purpose Zack would know his is to love Maddie and be loved back.

But all these thoughts are far away now, almost as far as the mess that Zack is now engulfed in.

But so far he has held out hope, for even in the darkest hours of men hope could become a person's friend and savior.

-

* * *

**One month later**

**-**

As time wore on the big attack, which Zack anticipated never materialized and all of the combat he's seen was only minor skirmishes.

During his spare time Zack just went to the communications centre and chatted with Maddie.

He heard how well Maddie's pregnancy is going and that it's all going normal back home.

Maddie always wished him the best and that she hoped that he would come home as soon as possible.

As Zack got off the computer he heard Trevor rush into the tent.

-

"Zack! Zack! Get ready to pack your bags, we're leaving soon!" Trevor yelled as he went inside.

Zack was in complete shock and asked Trevor how he knew about it and as he approached Trevor he asked him who gave the order.

"The withdrawal of the last of our troops is happening, all we have to do is hold this town and road for three days then the war is officially over for us!" Trevor responded with glee as he got into the apartment.

-

* * *

**Meanwhile Back in the States**

**-**

As Maddie sat down for an afternoon coffee she thought about Zack and what they'll do after the war and when he gets back.

As she sat she looked at her stomach, which at this time was a bit bigger.

She then stroked at it and just became lost in thought.

She then turned to her laptop and read a new E-Mail from Zack, which was to cause her much happiness.

-

_Dear Maddie,_

_I hope you're doing fine back home, I hope that when I come home you'll be okay which shouldn't be far off._

_Yes, I'm coming home, Maddie, soon in a matter of days and I really hope you hang on tight and wait for me._

_I managed to keep the guys alive and we're doing well._

_Give my best wishes to mum and Cody._

_I'll be home soon, Don't worry_

_Love_

Zack 

-

After Maddie read it her heart was filled with joy and now she knew he was well but something tragic was about to happen which will not only change her life but also Zack's.

For that afternoon someone paid an unexpected visit.

-

"Hey Maddie." Said Dmitri as he walked in the house almost without knocking.

Maddie, surprised by his visit stood up and said "Oh hey Dmitri, please sit. Would you like a coffee?" before she was shocked by what Dmitri was about to say next.

"No, no, that's not why I'm here." Dmitri said as Maddie was staring at his serious face.

Dmitri then added "Don't you see Maddie? That Zack guy stole you from me and that we are really meant to be." Before what he said angered Maddie so much that she stood up pointing at the door screaming "Get out! Get Out! Get Out!"

-

Dmitri just stood and said, "That's not good enough." As he clenched his fist in anger at her refusal.

For in his mind she was his and nobody else's, and after he stared at her he grabbed her and wrestled her to the ground until…

-

He hit Maddie in the stomach and she was knocked unconscious and was slowly gasping for breath.

Dmitri then stood up, battered and weary as he stared at Maddie who was just lying there.

She was very pale and sweaty as her body was recovering from the shock of his hit and Dmitri sensing that he could do nothing then murmured, "My God!" before he ran off and out of the house.

-

Maddie felt as if she was dying and that thoughts of pain and anguish started to overwhelm her spirit.

Luckily for her Cody was on a jog to greet her and have a chat.

As he rang the doorbell without answer, Cody started to be curious at why she wasn't answering.

So he opened the door and saw a sight that horrified him, Maddie, who when they were young they looked up to as a perky, confident and strong-willed girl was now lying on the floor almost lifeless.

-

Time almost stood still as he tried to think of what to do now, and as the seconds ticked past he ran to her.

Before he was able to check her pulse her head was moving and she managed to open her eyes for a few seconds.

As she looked up she saw Cody's face for the last time before once again falling unconscious.

-

"Maddie! Maddie!" Cody yelled helplessly as he tried to wake her.

He then called the ambulance.

-

* * *

**Back In Iraq**

-

"Medic! Medic! Medic!" Warren yelled as blood gushed out of a bullet wound in on his stomach.

Zack then dragged him to a safe area and told him, "C'mon hang on, you can make it." As Tapeworm and bob covers them.

Trevor then ran in and yelled "INCOMING!!!" and then a mortar shell landed on them.

-

* * *

**A/N Well that was chapter 9, I hope you guys liked reading it! I left such a bloody wicked cliffhanger, I Know! and I would thank you guys so much if you left any reviews for it since I want to know what you think of it. And thank you all so much and I hope everyone had a happy holiday season, I wish all of you luck in this New Year and I hope you guys keep writing.**

-

**_Well that's it, my music video would come on early February._**

**_-_**

**_Well That's it, Cheers!_**

**_-_**

_**Diego**_


	10. Day Of Days

**Chapter 10**

**Day of Days**

**Disclaimer: **I've said that I don't own anything once and I'll say it again, I DON'T OWN ANYTHING"

**A/N: Sorry for the lousy updates, I was stuck in a quagmire formerly known as school, but now that's over with here's the update**

**Last Time On "A Lost Past": **Last time we saw Zack and his friends in a life or death struggle which now has taken an interesting turn as he now faces almost certain death from this attack. Meanwhile back home Maddie was assaulted by her jealous colleague Dmitri. As she lay unconscious Cody found her just in time to call an ambulance, but with her life and that of the baby at risk will Zack come home once again to a broken life or will he come home at all?

* * *

- 

**Onto The Story**

**-**

When Zack got up from the explosion he felt as if he was in shambles.

As he got up he shook his head quickly to get rid of the shock before looking around.

What he saw was what he hoped, the mortar shell was a smaller caliber and the rest of the guys were only pinned down.

He helped the rest up and he and Bob carried Warren to the nearest house to try to fix his wound.

As he ran he saw other soldiers trying to stem the tide of insurgents assaulting the town.

There was a great cacophony of machine gunfire and explosions as Yank and Iraqi fought for every inch of ground in the town.

Neither side willing to give a yard without shedding blood.

-

When they lay Warren on the table Tapeworm tried to remove the bullet as he was screaming in pain as the tweezers went in.

"Stay still! C'mon you could do it!" Tapeworm yelled out as Warren was excruciatingly crying of pain.

Zack was just watching before he ran out of the door, his assault rifle at the ready with Bob as they ran to the Communication centre to asses the situation.

When they ran Zack saw an insurgent pass by him, Zack then swung his rifle in his general direction and started shooting.

He hit him but then fifteen to twenty insurgents were rushing at the end of the road, Bob stopped and started to awkwardly spray the general area with his rifle as Zack made a mad dash to the Comm. centre.

-

"Bob! Get your ass over here!" Zack yelled out as he entered the building, it's walls stained with the blood of so many.

He then grabbed a radio and started relaying messages.

"CP Papa do you read? Charlie sector breaking down, Broken Arrow, I repeat Broken Arrow!" Zack yelled down the field radio.

"Charlie! Do you read, break out and disperse at once air support on it's way fight your way out of the sector and link up with our lines! Charlie do you read! Hello! Kpdshcdghd………." The radio answered as Zack could only listen in disbelief. "Hello! Hello! Damn it!" Zack yelled.

Zack then rushed out of the building and saw Bob and Tapeworm dragging three wounded marines back to the apartment block.

-

The battle raged on and Zack quickly dove into a ditch and reloaded his weapon.

He saw three insurgents running at his direction at the ditch.

He quickly stood up and aimed his weapon at them, everything happened so quickly.

Yet it felt like forever, then he squeezed the trigger and one of them suddenly fell to the ground.

The other one then ran while the other started spraying Zack's position with lead.

He could hear the horrible rattle the gunfire produced and it made him almost deaf as he figured out what to do next.

Then in a split second Zack quickly ducked and shot back, killing the man.

-

They then heard the roaring of helicopters and jets as every available aircraft is pushed into action.

Releasing bombs and causing havoc to everyone on the ground as the bombs killed an injured both friend and foe.

Bombs fell everywhere and it was as if the sky was really falling as wave upon wave of aircraft dropped their payload on them.

Zack then started having memories of the fourth of July back when he was a kid, but more importantly he knew these weren't the bombs he used to play with nor is he still regarded as a child.

He then started having memories of every man he killed or injured, their faces haunting him, theirs and the faces of his men who died and asked himself "Am I a murderer"

Everywhere Zack saw men being engulfed in flames of death and destruction, Zack now truly knew the meaning of the saying "War is hell".

-

**Three hours later at 6:30 PM**

**- **

Silence………

-

"You kinda wonder why. Why things are like this, how things get fucked up." Zack thought to himself as he saw the aftermath of the bombing.

He then took a look at who's left, Warren was seriously wounded, Bob's ok so is Tapeworm and Jeremy.

Out of the one hundred and fifty men they started with they only have sixty-six able men.

"Hey Trevor." Zack sorrowfully greeted as he saw him crouched down on one of the dead bodies.

Zack just pondered on the orders the commander gave him over the radio until one of the guys yelled "Sir! We have over thirty men from the company wounded along with fifty more from the 1st Infantry Division's stragglers."

Zack then stood up and ordered the men to gather around him.

-

"Guys! Listen up, command just gave us the order to break out of the town!" Zack stated to them as they listened attentively.

"But we have little or no vehicles yet to transport the wounded. So I give you the choice I'm staying behind until our guys come to pick up the wounded, We will not leave the wounded behind!" Zack nervously added, as he was now unsure of what to do.

"Those who wish to get out now can leave but I will hold until relieved." Zack asked as he finished his speech.

No one left……

-

There was silence until Trevor yelled "Incoming!"

Two mortar shells then landed on the communications center, and in one swift second all their contact to the outside world was gone.

The insurgents, realizing that the Americans would not be dislodged easily decided to besiege the town and prevent help from getting through.

Now long would Zack have to hold out? A minute? A Week? A Month?

All that was in his mind now is to survive……

* * *

- 

**Meanwhile Back in the states**

**- **

Maddie felt delirious as she opened her clear brown eyes she was almost blinded by the bright lights.

She could think of nothing and it's as if she felt like a truck hit her.

A severe chill swept across her body and she felt as if she was freezing, she knew something was wrong and as she felt her stomach she knew what it was and just by the shock of it she immediately passed out on the bed unconscious.

-

Meanwhile outside her room there was a number of people there, among them Carey and Maddie's parents.

Cody was also there and they were all trembling with fear at what the doctor might say about her condition now.

There was silence in the room as everybody just though of what might have happened.

Cody was just thinking of how Zack might feel if he was here right now but as much as he thought about it he didn't want to.

He knew his brother, and he knew that he's known for practicing brash behavior.

The silence lasted until Maddie's mom spoke up.

"You know Carey? Your child's a great kid, and I know that our Maddie's right for him" Mrs. Fitzpatrick told Carey.

Irving then angrily blurted out "Yeah, thanks to that bas…" before Catherine disrupted him when she yelled out "Irving! That's no way of speaking of your future son-in-law!"

"Listen, let's just hope that Maddie's alright." Carey said.

-

"Are you Madeline Fitzpatrick's parents?" The doctor asked.

Everyone stared and blurted out "Is she alright?"

"Well, no exactly. I feel terrible for having to tell you the sad news."

**(A/N: So cruel, here's a mini cliffhanger now let's get back to Zack. Let's see what happens to Maddie later.)**

**-**

* * *

**- **

**Back in Iraq**

**- **

"You start thinking why am I here, what am I fighting for, why did my friends die?" Zack thought to himself as he buried his head in his helmet and took a nap.

-

"No one knows why………"

-

Several hours later there was a bit of quiet, the fighting temporarily subsided and everyone was taking this precious time to relax.

"Hey Zack, get up!" said a voice as Zack was slowly opening his eyes.

He saw Trevor holding two bottles of champagne next to a table with the rest of the guys.

"Guys, is Warren okay?" Zack asked as he got up and started chatting.

"Hey guys!" Warren weakly said as he entered the room all bandaged up.

And with that he found out the only reason they fought now, it was for the man next to him, and that now there's no way out there's no one left you could trust more to take a bullet than him.

But after that moment Zack didn't want to think about it that much, all he wanted was to enjoy his thanksgiving meal with his friends.

-

"Man you'd think they'd make this food taste better!" Bob stated as the group stared into a great clump of indistinguishable mess.

Zack just stared and replied "At least it's not that different from the food back in the cafeteria when we we're kids."

Everyone had a good laugh afterwards and they managed to stomach it.

After dinner Zack decided to turn in for the night, he was really spent.

The minutes ticked by as Zack continued to stare at the roof as if there was something there, he just couldn't sleep.

Throughout the night Zack would hear the occasional rattle of gunfire, but nothing that spectacular.

Apparently Trevor couldn't sleep too as he sat next to the window smoking a cigarette.

-

"You know, Zack? I promised myself to quit this nasty habit after Tommy kicked the bucket." Trevor said as Zack stood up to talk to him.

Zack and Trevor chatted the night away, Zack even after all this chaos managed to make a new friend as the two shared their High School experiences, their past girlfriends and their families back home.

Trevor then asked about Maddie "So how is she? I haven't seen her for so long, I think it was eleven years ago?"

"She's doing fine, we're engaged and we're gonna get married once all this is over. What about you, how's your family doing?" Zack replied as he inhaled another breath from his cigarette.

"Apparently Mayor, Senator, President and then Talk Show Host didn't work out so I became a lawyer. I met Louisa back at law school." Trevor answered almost with a laugh.

-

**The Next Morning**

**- **

"Get ready, I think this is the big one!!!" Trevor yelled out as they saw hundreds of insurgents massing at the horizon.

Zack got up all disoriented as he picked up his gun and took up his position at a stone wall as the enemy slowly advanced on foot and on pick-up trucks.

Zack then started squeezing the trigger like a madman as the insurgents moved yard by yard towards them.

Bob manned a 50. Cal machine gun and started shooting at one of the trucks which exploded in flames.

Tapeworm then pulled the clip off his hand-grenade and threw it forward before it exploded blowing off the legs of one of the insurgents.

The enemy then got to within three yards of their line but before they could go any closer they we're in for a shock.

-

As the insurgents closed in Trevor picked up his bayonet and yelled "Charge!"

And with that all of the men in the line rushed towards the enemy and chaos ensued in the melee.

Zack suddenly dropped his rifle and reached for anything nearby, he picked up a spade.

Without hesitation he started slamming the spade at an insurgent's face, he then kept slamming, and slamming until another one came from behind and started choking Zack.

Trevor upon seeing this took his knife and stabbed the man choking Zack and the close hand to hand combat continued.

The insurgents, through their sheer manpower was on the verge of overrunning their positions until……

-

He saw a column of vehicles on the horizon, they were British.

The men on the vehicles then dismounted and started to charge onto the positions and fought their way to relieve the Americans.

"C'mon Jack!" yelled one of the British soldiers as they ran towards the town.

"Yea I'm coming!" Jack yelled out when he was reloading his rifle.

A few hours later the attack withered away and the Americans linked up with the British column.

"Sir 1st Lieutenant Jack Willis, sir." Jack said as he shook hands with Zack's commander.

The two officers then started talking when Jack told them the bad news.

"I'm sorry sir but we're not a relief force, we've been looking for the road out of here for days. We have limited food, ammo and no radios."

There was a short pause until they all started hearing a whizzing sound.

"Incoming!!!" someone yelled as a mortar shell landed on Zack's commander, killing him instantly only leaving behind his bloody boots.

Jack, who only sustained minor injuries then, started calling out "Who's in charge here!"

"Lance Corporal Zack Martin, sir" Zack answered.

The two then stared at each other as memories of the past began playing before their eyes before Jack responded by murmuring "Zack?"

-

* * *

- 

**Back to Maddie**

-

"Oh my god!" Carey said out as she was pushed back by horror at the doctor's words.

"That's all we could say, ma'am. I'll leave you to your grief." The doctor replied as he walked back.

"What will Zack say?" Cody thought to himself as he thought of the tragedy that the doctor told him.

-

_Flashback Ten minutes ago_

_- _

"_I'm sorry to inform you that Madeline Fitzpatrick has suffered a miscarriage and has lost the baby. She is however alive but is traumatized, therefore I don't recommend anyone visiting her just yet." The doctor stated as everyone just stood there jaws agape._

"_Are you sure you can't do anything to save it!" Cody mildly shouted as he was breaking in tears._

_His mother just patted him on the back as she cried too, Maddie's mother was in a state of uncontrollable lack of sanity as she was in a state of breaking down._

_Maddie's mother went so crazy that her husband had to drag her out of the waiting room literally as her head twitched and she let out moans and slight laughs of insanity._

_- _

_End Of Flashback_

_- _

As the sunset Cody went up to Irma, wearing his newly bought wedding ring and told her the news.

"That's so sad." Irma said as she cried slightly and patted Cody.

Cody then pulled out a cigarette and started smoking, "You smoke!?" Irma said when she saw what Cody was doing.

"What's the point." Replied before he left and walked away.

Irma, distressed by Cody's reply ran after him and asked, "Where are you going?"

"To London's and then to an old friend's." Cody answered as he continued to walk.

He then disappeared in through the tall buildings of the city…

-

* * *

**A/N: Well I'm very sorry for the lousy updates. Too busy at school blah blah blah, you can never run out of reasons. Well anyway I hope you liked this chapter although it was very tragic. I'll update within two weeks. Thanks for those who've stuck with this story all this time and reviewed and I hope more people will review.**

_**Well Until next time**_

_**Diego ** _


	11. I'm Holding On

**Chapter 11**

**I'm Holding On**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything, nothing I tell you! Stop rubbing it in!

**Last Time On A Lost Past: **Zack is facing hell on earth as he wonders whether or not he will come home, alive or in a body bag. Maddie must now find a way to face the tragedy, which unfolded. Can either of them ever be the same again?

* * *

**- **

**Onto The Story**

** -  
**

As Cody walked away from Irma he was quite nervous at what he should tell London, after all she and Maddie have been the closest of friends.

As he approached the Tipton he saw a very familiar face at the check-in table.

"Good afternoon sir, welcome to the Tipton! How may I help you?" the man asked as Cody took a closer look.

"Esteban?" Cody asked, until a conversation started between the two.

"My have you grown!" Esteban remarked as Cody was about to ask "So You're the new manager?"

"Oh yes, Mr. Moseby had an early retirement two years ago. And what about you, how has it been these past five years?" Esteban answered.

"Maybe some other time, I need to speak to London. Do you know where she is?" Cody quickly replied as Esteban gave him the same room number from all those years ago.

_**(A/N: There's more of this half of the story in the later parts of this chapter)**_

-

**At The front of London's Penthouse Suite's door**

**- **

"Knock, Knock!………"

"Who is it?!" London yelled out as she approached the door.

As Cody heard this he replied "its Cody! Let me in!"

"Oh Cody, it's been so long. How have you been?" London greeted as she let Cody into her suite.

"Hot chocolate?" London asked, "No thank you."

London and Cody sat there quietly until London started by asking, "So how are you and Zack? Has anything happened lately?"

"Well I was just going to tell you something about Maddie. You see…."

"What!?" Exclaimed London as she listened to Cody.

"Maddie got pregnant and she lost the baby." Cody answered.

-

London was quite bewildered, as she doesn't know what Cody was talking about. "Wait! Hold up, pregnant? Who?……."

"Zack, he left for Iraq and now he's lost his baby." Cody answered.

"How did it happen?" London asked as Cody sat there.

Cody thinking about what happened could only answer, "I don't know."

-

* * *

**Meanwhile in the Pentagon**

**- **

A general walked into the war room to confer with one of the generals.

"General Richardson, Sir!" he said before his commanding officer.

"At ease, now what's the situation?" asked the commander.

"Well sir the president's decree to withdraw from Iraq is almost complete but we have a bit of a situation." Answered the officer.

"What is it and make it quick!" the General stated.

"Well sir although the withdrawal is complete there is a situation in the "Al-Amarah/Al-Qurnah highway.". It seems that a company from the 10th Mobile infantry division and an unknown number of British troops are cut off."

"Well why the hell didn't you try relieving them?" The general answered.

"Sir the area is swarming with insurgents and any attempt at relief will result in unsustainable casualties." The officer exclaimed.

-

"What was the last message we relayed to them?" asked the general.

The officer then checked some papers and answered, "We issued the order to break out, but none of them seemed to have come back yet."

"They could be lost, sir."

The General then thought of his options before suggesting, "Should we call the Secretary of defense?"

"Sir, the secretary of defense is busy. He's running for election sir." The officer replied.

"Well I better call him anyway."

-

**Later At A Press Conference**

**- **

The secretary of defense was holding a press conference on the recent withdrawal.

"May I have the first question?" asked the secretary.

"Sir, we were hearing reports of a lost company and British troops in the Al Amarah Highway? Could you verify these claims sir?" asked the reporter.

"We do have a situation there, but I assure you that it's not that critical."

-

**But at that same moment in Iraq**

**- **

"Medic, Medic! Bob's hit!" screamed Zack as a mortar shell tore the mans flesh open leaving him a tattered shell of limbs and sinew.

As Zack tended to Bob he was murmuring something "What is it buddy?" asked Zack."

"Just get back, back! Leave me here, just get out." Exclaimed Bob who by now was coughing blood.

"Oh no, we're not getting out of here without you." Zack said with a tear before lifting Bob and carrying him on his back.

Tapeworms then started shooting his weapon as wave after wave of insurgents charge at the makeshift hospital.

-

As he shot he was starting to feel the desperation of the moment.

Tapeworm went on as he spent magazine after magazine.

He then broke down, "Take it easy man" Zack said as he dragged him away from the machine gun.

Zack then took up the gun and squeezed the trigger, and to his surprise he ran out of ammo.

"Shit!" Guys give me another magazine!

-

"We're out!" yelled Trevor as he scrounged his hand in the box to find no more.

"Damn!" Zack murmured as he pulled out his pistol and his bayonet.

Then suddenly time seemed to slow down as an insurgent charged Zack head on.

As the tense seconds wore on Zack aimed his pistol in what seemed like an eternity and squeezed the trigger.

The insurgent then dropped dead just a foot away from him.

Zack then scrambled for the insurgents weapon.

Jack then came in and started to shoot with his weapon, "Hey Zack here!" Jack said as he threw Zack another magazine.

-

"Zack cover me! I just had an idea!" Jack said to Zack as he handed him more ammo.

Jack then ran outside to a broken lorry.

"Tapeworm! Grab the repair kit over there and give it to me." Jack ordered before Tapeworm ran as fast as he could to the other side of the road dodging all the bullets flying everywhere.

"Tapeworm give me the wrench!"

Jack then frantically fixed the lorry, but just barely.

"Hey Zack get in!" Tapeworm yelled out as he got on the back.

Zack then got out of the building carrying Bob on his back and said with awe, "Man Jack! When your not crashing cars you're fixing them."

"Now hop in!" Jack said as Zack put Bob in the back and Warren followed to the back.

-

As they were getting in Trevor came out of the building and ran towards them yelling at them to wait.

As he got on the seat he told Zack, "You guys were gonna ditch me weren't you?"

"Only if we have to." Jack humorously replied as he drove past the decimated road of the town cranking up the engine to avoid fighting the swarms of insurgents roaming the town.

Tapeworm took the rifle at the back and covered the truck as he fired he didn't know that a sniper on one of the buildings was taking aim at him.

He didn't know this until, Bang!

He wasn't sure what it hit but as he felt around his stomach he just realized that he'd been shot.

-

Trevor then climbed from the seat and into the back of the pickup.

He then bandaged Tapeworm's stomach as bullets flew and the cacophony of weapons blasting away was clearly heard.

He then picked up the rifle and started shooting.

Jack then put his peddle to the metal and sped onwards as the rear wheels kicked up sand along the sides of the road.

"Shit! There's more of them." Trevor said frantically as two Technicals **(AN/ lorries with machine guns on the back) **chased them.

"What do we do?!" Zack asked.

Jack then looked both ways and answered "Just hold on." As he swerved the vehicle and the two techies hit each other and exploded.

"Whew glad we got rid of them!" Jack stated as he put it on full drive again.

-

"Jack? Where did you learn to drive like that?" Zack asked until Jack threw him a bottle of scotch Whiskey and replied "that's all you need"

Zack looked awkwardly as he told Jack "This is what got you here in the first place."

They both laughed until two RPG's just flew above the driver's compartment.

Then at a split second bullets started flying everywhere as the lorry was ambushed, it was by sheer luck that they survived.

"Look out!!!!" Yelled Trevor as a rocket flew onto the front of the engine.

-

An hour later Zack opened his eyes as he lay on the ground, he could see barely as his eyes were covered in dirt.

As he waved his hand over his left ear he couldn't hear properly, he then wiped the back of the ear and found blood streaming out of it.

He stood up and found that the lorry had tipped over and that everyone lay scattered around the burnt out wreck.

Zack then ran toeards Trevor and tried to wake him up, he woke up and they tried to see if the others were Okay.

Tapeworm lost his left eye as a piece of the truck protrudes from the eyeball, They approached Jack who was quite surprisingly unhurt.

When they went to see Bob he was still bleeding profusely but alive, they covered up his wound and told him to rest for a few minutes.

When they went to Warren Zack waved his hands in front of his eyes to find no response.

"Warren! Warren, wake up!!" Zack screamed as he shook him.

"Don't die out on me man, don't die out." Zack murmured as he shed tears in front of him.

-

Jack then approached him and said "I didn't know Warren that well, but I'm sure he was a fine soldier and a greater man."

Zack cried even more at this before Jack knelt down as well and told Zack "I'm sorry for your loss, let's just rest first before we go."

Zack then took Warren's dog-tag and stood.

A few minutes later they all started walking to continue the long trek to Kuwait, with Bob and Warren being carried by Zack and Trevor with Jack as the look-out.

The heat was starting to get to them, the sweat, the blood, the filth were tempting them to stop.

Jack then stopped took a seat and said "Let's just rest for a minute here, Zack you have some water?"

"Yeah here's some, and some MRE's **(A.N.: M.R.E. Meals Ready To Eat, is army food which really only needs water to be edible.) **Zack replied as he gave Jack the canteen and three packs of MRE's.

-

Jack then took a rag, poured some water on it and started tending to Bob and Tapeworm's wounds.

"Here you go, now don't drink more than two gulps." Jack ordered as he passed the canteen around.

Trevor then took an MRE and tried to pour some water in it before Jack stopped him.

"Listen You'll need water more than food, just wait first." Jack said as he took a saucer and started dripping sweat on it.

He then gave it to Trevor saying "This is more expendable than water."

-

_Will Zack and his friends ever find the way home, or has fate have different plans for them._

_-_

* * *

**A/N: Thanks for all of you who patiently waited for this story, I know it's been long but I was very busy with other work and things around the house.**

**I would like to thank all my readers and gladly say that I'll be updating faster from now on, maybe every two weeks.**

**Please review, I hope you do and thanks.**

**- **

**Until Next Time**

**- **

_**Diego**_


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